Oddity
by KKephemeral
Summary: Oddity - anything that doesn't belong. Living in Konoha in the wake of Second Shinobi War was not an easy task - especially for a Senju. Hatorama Senju found about that in a hard way. Not only does he have to deal with Danzou, Orochimaru and what not, but he has to keep an eye on the future also. That is if he survives this upcoming war. Self Insert SI/OC Rated T for language
1. Chapter 1 - Assumptions And Reality

**Chapter 1 – Assumptions and Reality**

Hatorama Senju - that's what my new name is. As far as names went it was one of the most unimaginative names to give to a boy. Seriously, they had taken "Ha" from Hashirama and "To" from Tobirama and had bundled the common "Rama" to make it into a name.

I rolled it around my mind with both trepidation and a strange sense of ecstasy. I looked up with my baby eyes at my cousin who was gently cooing at me after informing me of my name. While my eyes hadn't developed yet - all I could see was a hazy image of a person above me - I could vaguely guess the identity of my cousin.

I am sure most of you would have at least guessed what had happened to me. I was dead and now I was reincarnated in the Narutoverse. I won't bore you with the details about how I died and got reincarnated, because, that's not important. What's important was that I was reincarnated as a goddamn Senju.

While most of you would complain that it is a great thing to happen, I, for one, don't think so. Yes, I agree that I get to play with chakra, which I would have given my left arm to happen in my earlier life. But, I would have preferred to be born in some obscure clan or even to a civilian. Being a Senju, I tell you from the experiences of someone who had already experienced it before me, is not an easy task.

There are so much expectations and even worse a ton more of responsibilities. My cousin had been dutifully filling in me, or more like ranting to me for the past two hours, about what she underwent as a Senju. While I couldn't understand most of the things she said, I could at least guess at the gist of the things. From what I gathered from her, I don't see it as a good thing. It was no wonder my cousin, Tsunade, left the village after her heart was broken.

Bloody responsibilities and expectations!

Now, don't get me wrong, my cousin was not all sunshine and roses. Nah! Nah! Tsunade was a petty little witch. The reason she was telling me about what she had gone through before growing up was to take sick pleasure in telling me what she would make me go through. Apparently, I am the last descendant of Tobirama and the slug princess was going to take her revenge on Tobirama through me.

But, I digress. I don't know what was running through her mind to rant at a baby like this. I think Tobirama must have given her a hell of a time. It was so bad that she had taken to vent her frustrations about him to a baby. The situation was so hilarious that if I had developed my vocal chords I would have at least let out a chortle to it. Too bad, all I could do was smile at the direction of my cousin.

"Don't smile at me Hatorama Senju! I am serious. I am going to make you go through all those horrible lessons your grandfather made me go through!" Tsunade exclaimed in irritation.

"Hime, you realize that he is not going to understand any of what you are saying right?" a slithery voice sounded from the opposite direction giving me goosebumps.

Yeah right! The snake bastard was also in the room. Being so close to someone who conducted experiments on children was not a comfortable feeling. Furthermore, I am a Senju. If what I know about this world is right, I am going to be one of the last living members of a famous clan with a Kekkei Genkai. I fervently hoped that I didn't inherit Hashirama's bloodline limit. If I did, I wouldn't be safe from the snake bastard.

I didn't know at what point in the timeline I was in. I could only vaguely guess at it. Tsunade hasn't left the village yet. So, the Second Shinobi War must not have happened yet. If the bubbly tone of her was any indication, the events that led to her heartbreak had not happened yet either. But, other than that, I was drawing a blank.

Whatever, I was feeling sleepy again. While I wasn't ready to go to sleep when the snake bastard was in the room, my body wasn't cooperating with me. It demanded that I sleep and I reluctantly embraced the one thing I was good at this point in time – sleeping.

Days or maybe months, it is very hard to track time if you are a baby even when you have an adult's intelligence, rolled by and I realized that I was wrong in my assumption. Earlier, I had assumed that the Second Shinobi War was yet to happen. But, I got to know later it was over months before I was born.

My first clue was the presence of teenage Shizune. In hindsight, there has been always someone who took care of me. I had assumed it was the Slug Princess. But, Shizune had been a silent presence in my lives for a long time before I even recognized her. The day I realized who she was the waterworks had flown uncontrollably.

What! I am a baby. Do you even know how hard it is to control your body as a baby? Yes, I cried. I cried not for me, but for the terrible heartbreak my cousin had experienced. When I realized Shizune's presence, the only thing I could think of was how hard Tsunade was masking her pain in front of me. And with it came a wave of sorrow that engulfed me that resulted in me crying uncontrollably.

With that being said, I would like to take some time to point out here that I wasn't a terrible baby. I tried my best to be a good one. But unfortunately, the only way a baby knows to ask for food or let others know that it had soiled itself was to cry. And NO! I am not going to humiliate myself by telling you about the problems I faced because of my lack of strength to do the necessary things like pee by myself.

Nevertheless, since that day several questions have been nagging at me. Why was Tsunade still here in Konoha? Shouldn't she be roaming around the Land of Fire by now? Am I the reason she is still here? Have I tossed canon out of the window by my merely existence?

While I was grateful that Tsunade had remained behind, I couldn't help but be scared. I could easily imagine the impact of her presence in Konoha during the Third Shinobi War. The possible ramifications of such a game changer like Tsunade being involved in the Third Shinobi War were unimaginable. It would surely throw the entire canon out of the window. At the minimum, Minato would not be the only candidate for being the Fourth Hokage.

My mind whirled with the idea of Tsunade being the Yondaime Hokage instead of Godaime Hokage. And for several days, all I could think about was the impact of Tsunade's brand of administration to future Konoha. If not much, the medical expertise of Konoha alone will reach an unparalleled amount. Not to say the empowerment of Kunoichis. There is no telling what the future now holds.

Strangely enough, I wasn't scared of losing the future I know. Not that it promised much. Konoha went through a meat grinder in the original storyline. Maybe with Tsunade's presence, things might get better. Maybe, Minato and Kushina don't need to die.

With that comforting thought, I passed the next several days imagining how Naruto's life would be with the presence of parent figures.

This is not fair. Screw you fate! This is not fair at all.

The thing I had been dreading most did really come to pass. I imagine that a year hadn't even passed yet after I was born. If the ongoing conversation was any indication, I would even bet my life on the line of that fact.

"…. don't understand sensei!" my cousin was shouting at her sensei Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Tsunade! You are being selfish," Hiruzen said in a disappointed tone.

"Don't you dare use that tone with me!" my cousin raged. "Not you too! Don't act like Uncle Tobirama!"

"Fine. Then what about Hatorama?" Hiruzen asked angrily.

"He…. he will remain here," my cousin stated in a broken tone.

"You are abandoning him?" Hiruzen accused angrily.

"I am not abandoning him!" Tsunade defended herself. "I am a broken shell sensei. Hatorama deserves better."

"Hatorama deserves his family," Hiruzen bluntly stated and I could imagine the flinch my cousin would have had at that statement.

"They are all dead sensei…," Tsunade said in a broken tone that made my heart hitch.

I was struggling valiantly to refrain from crying. It was the hardest battle I had battled ever since being born. I knew what my cry would do. It would only postpone this conversation. Out of my earshot. And I will be damned if I am going to let it happen. Whatever her reason was, I deserved to know. While I could empathize with her situation, it didn't mean that I liked it.

"Oh hime!" Hiruzen said softly and I heard my cousin break down in sobs.

"Every moment I spend in this compound, in this village, I am reminded of them. Of Natsuki, of Dan, of Uncle Tobirama, of all of them. I can't take it any more sensei. It is tearing me apart. Hatorama is the only reason I am even here."

"Then, live for him hime."

"No," Tsunade vehemently refused, "I will not allow him to grow up seeing my broken shell. He deserves better. He deserves to see the joys of Konoha, not its sorrows. And even if it is the last thing I do as a Senju, I will see it done."

"Oh hime, I thought you were getting better." Hiruzen said softly.

"Overcoming my fear of blood during the childbirth was one thing, sensei. But, this," she let out a dry chuckle that made me sad.

"I see," Hiruzen murmured.

"I ask you a favor sensei. Look after him. Shizune will stay here to look after him, just keep an eye on him,"

"No, I won't. I will be coming with you Tsunade-sama," Shizune's forceful voice interrupted the conversation.

"Shizune!" Tsunade said in shock at her reply.

"You need someone to look after you Tsunade –sama. Don't think I haven't seen the amount of sake you have been drinking," Shizune stated firmly.

"But, Hatorama .." Tsunade stuttered.

"She is right. Shizune will go with you," Hiruzen replied firmly.

"I can't…. he… Hatorama needs…"

"He is a child Tsunade. You told him you are leaving now so that he doesn't remember you. The same would apply to Shizune. He wouldn't remember her. But, I think that is what is best for all of us." Hiruzen's voice was like a frozen ice.

Hearing it, it dawned on me. The reason for Tsunade leaving me. She had lost the Will of Fire. She had lost the faith on which the village operated. Repeated deaths of close members of her family had shattered her belief. And she didn't want me to lose it either. Hiruzen realized it too. And his disappointment of her stemmed from it.

"Leave! I will take care of Hatorama," Hiruzen stated bluntly and I felt anger rising up inside me at him.

But more than anger, sadness filled me. While I had subconsciously known that it was going to happen, I wasn't prepared for it. Yet, I understood her reason for it. Soon, things were settled and it was decided that I would be looked after by Hiruzen and will be staying in the village.

Tsunade hugged my baby body tightly for a long time before she parted. And I reluctantly fell asleep in the ensuing chaos of her departure.

So much for changing canon. I once heard a theory that whatever ripples may occur, fate would eventually realign itself to its original course. And it was that moment I decided that it would be better if I kept my knowledge of future to myself. I have read several fanfics where the reborn ones act like oracles and eventually get into trouble for that shit. I wasn't keen on repeating it.

A secret shared is not a secret any longer.


	2. Chapter 2 - Growth

**Chapter 2 - Growth**

My first encounter with Danzo was something I wouldn't forget. Why? It was because I never felt so vulnerable in my entire life (the measly one year here and the earlier life combined). It happened the next day after Tsunade left. It scared me to shit myself (literally) that the man knew I was alone within a day. Then again, I should be glad that he didn't appear the next hour itself.

"He is sensei's blood. The last Senju," Danzo said to Hiruzen in his grating voice that sent shivers through my body.

"He is a baby," Hiruzen replied softly.

"Regardless, what have you decided to do with him Hiruzen?"

"I haven't decided yet,"

"I wouldn't mind looking after sensei's blood,"

Hiruzen didn't reply. The silence stretched a long time; at least it felt to me so. I imagined that they were starring daggers at each other. Maybe they were eyeing me. The anticipation of Hiruzen's reply was killing me. After all, it is going to decide my fate.

"Danzo," Hiruzen said at last in what could barely be called as a whisper.

Danzo didn't reply. If he indeed did, it was too soft for me to hear.

"The boy deserves to walk in the light, Danzo. It could be the last thing we may do for our sensei," Hiruzen replied causing me to release the breath I was holding in anticipation.

"Our duty to sensei is to make Konoha stronger. For that he needs to be a ROOT that supports this village," Danzo said without missing a beat.

"I will not deny him his childhood," Hiruzen stated firmly.

"You are becoming soft Hiruzen," Danzo accused.

"Maybe," Hiruzen replied without missing a beat and an ensuing silence followed.

After what felt like eons to me, Hiruzen spoke.

"Do you remember First Hokage's dream Danzo. He created this village so that young children like Hatorama here need not die. We both have seen how the world was before ninja villages were formed. We may have been too young to truly understand it, but we know what it was like. I think the best repayment we can do for sensei is to let one of his blood enjoy the labors of pain he went through. I think he would have wanted that."

"Sensei's legacy is the village,"

"And the village is made up of kids like him. And of all kids in the village, none deserves to enjoy the blessings of the village more than him. His family has given too much to this village. It is time the village repaid his family."

Danzo didn't reply. While I should have been glad that Hiruzen was not willing to send me to Root, I can't help but feel for the children that had no one to look after them.

"So, what are you going to do?" Danzo asked once more.

"I can take him to my home. Biwako has recently raised Asuma. She will know what to do with him," Hiruzen stated.

"Fine, I agree on one condition."

"What?"

"Promise me that no harm will come to him, especially from the Uchihas," Danzo asked in a tone that brooked no argument.

I have to say that I was shocked to see that Danzo actually cared for me. The shock only lasted for a moment before I scoffed at the notion. No, most probably the bastard was trying to use me as a reason to get at the Uchihas.

"Uchihas?" Hiruzen asked in confusion.

"He is the last Senju." Danzo stated bluntly before I started to hear the telltale sound of cane tapping the floor which had woken me. I relaxed myself knowing that the danger had passed.

"He hasn't changed much," I heard Hiruzen mutter before sleep once more took me into its sweet embrace.

I was honestly beginning to get amazed with my ability to understand full-fledged conversations. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I had been listening to Tsunade rant about Tobirama even before I knew my new name.

As I started thinking about it more and more things stood out in my mind. While my sight and speech were turning out to be a problem, strangely enough my hearing was working fine. Was it because I was mentally an adult? Or is it because of some other thing. Am I affecting my hearing and depending more on it because of the shutdown of my other senses?

I didn't know.

Regardless, I was glad for it. Soon, days rolled by and I slowly started getting my vision back. Not a clear vision I was used to. It was hazy around the edges and a little blurry. But, I could differentiate between the various shapes.

I was also gaining back my motor control. Nothing much, but it felt damn good to move your hands and demands things. Mostly, I demanded food. I was desperately trying to build strength in my small body to get up and go to the loo by myself. As far as reasons went, peeing without humiliating myself was a damn strong motivating factor. Beyond that, I wasn't hoping for much. But that was one thing I refused to be subjected to repeatedly.

A man must have his pride. Even when he is in a body of a baby.

Sleeping, waking up crying either through a wet bottom or hunger, staring idly at my surroundings even when they are not clearly visible, tolerating the cooing sounds every damn female made at me whenever they saw me and sleeping again. That was how my days rolled by.

I also found much to my amusement that the statement that an idle mind is a devil's playground to be really true. After I had got bored out of my mind by staring at hazy surroundings, I found new vindictive pleasure in making lives hell for whoever was near me.

It all started when I realized that my voice box was developing. And I am not ashamed to say I used my developing voice to an alarming degree. My newest way of passing my boredom was to cry out as loud as possible. And dare I say that it drove Biwako through the walls.

After all, I had gone from a very quiet baby to someone who was crying loudly each and every waking moment. My bouts of vindictive pleasure would usually last until I would find my throat dry. After that, I would go back to sleep like the little angel I was. And god help Biwako if Orochimaru was in the room. I literally drove him away from the house with my crying. So much so that he stopped visiting when I was awake.

Hurray to small successes.

And somewhere along the line I started teething. I assure you folks that teething hurts as much as you all would have heard and not remembered. Needless to say, I was crying more often than not and this time it was not even to my amusement.

And you know what the damn idiots gave me to strengthen my teeth on, a damn wooden kunai. I agree that I was in a shinobi household but it was freaking too much. I went into a stupor of sorts the moment I realized the shape of what I was holding.

Playing with chakra aside, I shouldn't forget that I was now in a world where they were training children to be soldiers. It was a resounding reality check in many ways. My mood became subdued for the next few days as I processed what I would have to eventually do to live in this world.

I was so out of it that I even failed to recognize that I was in the same room as the snake bastard. And the surprise on his face was priceless to see when he realized I was not sleeping. And as if that was my cue, I started crying causing his face to twitch in irritation.

By the time seven months old, I was beginning to get enough strength to sit up and wave my arms around. The first thing I did when I got my strength was to try to crawl away with my baby body towards the loo.

Needless to say, Biwako was not amused at all.

It was at the same time that my eyesight was restored, I may not be able to see objects or faces that were in the distance but anything within five feet of me was fair game, and I promptly put it to use too by memorizing faces and items. I would sometimes stare at symbols or any writings that was in vicinity with increasing frustration for a long time trying to memorize it. While I didn't know what they said, I was amusing myself with memorizing various things.

As you would have guessed it was my new pastime. And unlike my previous one, it didn't irritate Biwako much. With that being said, I didn't abandon using my voice either. I was beginning to use it strategically.

I now only cried when I was hungry or had peed myself or someone I didn't like was in the room. Biwako soon started to get the hand of it and would immediately look for the source of my displeasure. It really bewildered her to see me cry every time Orochimaru dropped by. I guess she still thought of him as a darling pupil of her husband. But I knew better.

On my first birthday, there was small party in Hiruzen's house. I didn't bother to note who had attended it, except for the most important ones like Danzo and Orochimaru. After all, the noise of a bunch of kids shouting loudly beside me was a good reason to embrace sleep. And sleep I did.

Being a baby once more was both a curse and boon. While I wasn't able to attend to my own needs, it also allowed me to go to sleep whenever I pleased. I mean there was not much to keep my attention anyway. Let me tell you this, being an adult in a baby's body was the most boring thing one can experience. Even if you wanted to do something, you simply can't.

But then I was rudely awakened by their prodding. And I gave a stink eye to a chibi Asuma who had done it.

"He is so cute…." one of his friends cooed at me.

What the hell dude! I am giving you all a stink eye and you reply with how cute I am. Damn this baby face. I can't even express my displeasure. Then there is no way to it. You only leave me one option. I cried loudly causing Biwako to appear out of nowhere and start cooing to me.

The flabbergasted expression Asuma wore as he watched me calm down in her hands was too cute though. After all, I had never cried when he was near me before.

Well, I think it is time let you guys know of the biggest revelation I had in my short one year in Narutoverse. Yes, yes, I am talking about the timeline. And most of you would have guessed by now.

Asuma was just shy of turning three. With that being established, I have a concrete guess as to where in timeline I stood. While I never thought I was in the era of Naruto, and even had an inclination that I was in Kakashi's era, it was good to know where I exactly stood.

Speaking of Kakashi, I caught my first glimpse of Kakashi just today. Apparently Sakumo was yet to fail his fated mission and he had made an appearance earlier with a chibi Kakashi. Currently Kakashi was holding his father's hands while he was talking to the elders and Hiruzen.

There was no sign of Uchihas though. So, I am yet to get my glimpse on the masked menace called Tobi or better yet Obito now. Even if the Uchihas were present, I don't think Obito would be present here. After all, he wasn't from Fugaku's family.

As I look around the room, all I could do was to let out a heavy sigh. There were both familiar faces and unfamiliar ones. But amongst the crowd there was one face I yearn to see most and it was conspicuously missing.

Tsunade Senju, my cousin and only living relative, was nowhere to be seen. And I think I miss her terribly.


	3. Chapter 3 - Nightmare Lessons

**Chapter 3 - Nightmare Lessons**

I had recently turned two and was already beginning to regret it. I mean who even conducts etiquette lessons for two-year-olds. It was damn frustrating. And not to mention my teacher for that said subject. I honestly wondered how fucked up my new life could get. Tsunade was right. Being a Senju was not a good thing at all in this world.

But to be honest, I brought this all upon me by myself. And if the look of my teacher who was sitting in front of me was anything to go by, I wasn't doing well in the said subject. And let me tell you, Danzo could be scary bastard when he doesn't get what he wants.

Yeah, you heard it right. Shimura fucking Danzo was my etiquette teacher! I know, I know it is a concept that is so outlandish that even I was finding it difficult to wrap around my head.

After I had behaved very rudely in a formal dinner, Danzo had shown up the next day and introduced himself as my etiquette teacher. I don't know what possessed Hiruzen to even allow it, provided I had been extremely rude to various important personals. Not to mention the Fire Daimyo himself.

What? They were a bunch of assholes who had a foot long stick up their asses. Who even knew they can't even take a joke! Huh!

Though most of the actions were chalked up to be a kid's actions, several of them had expressed their displeasure to Hiruzen and he had promptly caved into Danzo's demand to let him handle the matter. After all, neither Hiruzen nor Biwako could be too strict with me. They adored me completely.

In the past year, I have succeeded in completely wrapping up those two in my palms. And as a result, I had become their darling. While I could understand Hiruzen's reasoning, I honestly didn't know why he had agreed on Danzo to be my etiquette teacher. It is not as if people would turn down a request from the Hokage. Seriously, the man had an entire village at his beck and call and he has to saddle me with Danzo.

For this reason alone he is not going to get a kiss from me for the next few weeks!

It had been almost a week now and my progress was not really up to Danzo's standards. But then, Danzo has been keen to find a mistake in whatever I did. It was as if he is taking this opportunity to mock Hiruzen's upbringing. For all I know that might be true too.

But I can't complain much because the man always had a point.

"Sit straight Hatorama. Your posture must not slouch even a little bit. As of now, you are slouching a bit to the left," Danzo drawled as he gravely eyed me.

I corrected it.

"Your right shoulder is slightly higher than your left."

I rectified it.

"Its passable,"

I was genuinely pleased.

"Wipe off that silly smile you have. It is unbecoming of a Senju,"

"Even when you don't like someone, you must not let your emotions show. A good shinobi knows to mask his emotions."

"Your eyes say too much, keep it neutral."

"Don't shake your legs."

"Stop playing with your fingers."

And it went on….

Seriously, I am a kid. What does he really expect me to be? A robot?

Well, you get the drift. I have to endure Danzo's torment every day for an hour. And boy! Was the man stingy with praises? Even though I know what kind of twisted man Danzo was, it was hard to not get elated by even the smallest of praises from him. Considering that they were so rare. I honestly think that the man was trying to condition me to yearn for his praise.

Even when he was torturing me, the man was so skilled in getting things done by people. I have to agree that I started to have a grudging respect for his capabilities, even though I literally hated the very existence of him.

Not just him, Biwako had also stepped up her teachings in the past few weeks. We were already done with Hiragana and was beginning to step into the minefield called as Kanji. It seems Biwako took it personally that I had caused so many complaints to arise from so many important people. As a result, my life was turning into a literal nightmare fully comprised of studies.

I so badly wanted to let them know that all work and no play will make Hatorama a dull boy. But, one look at her stony gaze quelled any thoughts I would have had on that avenue.

Well, enough about the depressing topics. Let's move on to greener pastures. Well, not greener but anything is good when compared to my nightmare lessons.

Asuma has found a new game to play with his friends called "The Ninja". And apparently, I was too young to play with them. My foot! So, he had dumped me in favor of the enthusiastic game. As a result, I am now stuck with spending my time with adults mostly.

But all is not lost. With Asuma gone mostly, I had the house mostly to myself (and an adult supervision) and I had taken it upon me to read most of the books the Sarutobis had in their possession (at least what the adult supervising me allowed me to read). It was a win-win situation.

My vocabulary was slowly but surely increasing day by day and I found it a blessing indeed. While I could understand most of what they talk easily, reading something is entirely a different matter altogether.

Since English is not the primary language anymore, I thought it to be prudent to learn as much of the language as possible. While I couldn't speak fluently in the language yet (I was prone to butcher the language much to Danzo and Biwako's irritation) I hoped that I would be able to read fluently very soon. And it was to this effect that I was concentrating most of my efforts too.

Asuma, on the other hand, was the more outdoorsy type. He preferred playing to studying much to Biwako's displeasure. While I too desired to play, me being a Senju curb stomped that into the mud. Apparently, it is fine for a Sarutobi to be not versed in etiquette. But, god help me, a Senju can't have bad etiquette. Hence, I wasn't allowed to play much.

The injustice of it rankled me. But, the sweet promise of being literate again and have a fluency in a language had mollified me for now. And despite being a child, my adult mindset thought it was beneath me to throw tantrums like Asuma did when he wasn't allowed to play. So, it was no wonder I was stuck indoors while Asuma was mostly outside.

* * *

It started happening and I could do nothing but watch it happen. Biwako's frustration with the situation bled over to me unconsciously. Hiruzen started spending more and more time in his duty as a Hokage that he began to neglect his family. And Asuma didn't take it well.

Asuma's tantrums during the dinner were now a nightly occurrence. He desperately wanted to spend more time with his father, but Hiruzen was nowhere to be found. Hiruzen usually arrived late to the house well after me and Asuma had gone to sleep. And in the morning he was gone before either of us was awake. While I didn't mind it much, Asuma took it hard.

I could see the frustration building up in him as he wanted to spend more time with his father. It was small in the beginning but soon turned into a sticking point for him. Not to mention the very few times Hiruzen was home for dinner he usually discussed important topics with Biwako asking for her input. That left both the kids conveniently unable to understand it. Even though I had an adult mind, it was quite hard to follow up on political things without much background.

Initially, Biwako would usually try to steer the conversation away. But, Hiruzen would catch on the fact that she wasn't comfortable with talking sensitive issues in our presence and order us to the bed. And you can imagine how well it would have gone over with Asuma. I mean all he could understand was that his dad was not spending time with him more.

The rare few times Hiruzen spent some time with his family Asuma had to share him with me. And while Asuma didn't resent me for it, I could see he yearned to have some quality one on one time with his Hokage father. Initially, I tried to excuse myself from the duo, only to be held back by Hiruzen. And a two-year-old's insistence to leave was never held in much weight.

So, it is with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience I watched them grow apart. Frustratingly enough, neither me nor Biwako could do much about that either.

* * *

Soon, the months rolled by and I busied myself in my education. Kanji was admittedly giving me a hard time and my lessons on etiquette with Danzo were now progressed to include history. I started to learn about several of the clans and their unique characteristics from Danzo.

Danzo was surprisingly a good teacher. He elaborated on points I felt confused and even helped me understand the various hidden dynamics between the clans. But I refrained myself from asking too many pointed questions to him. It was safe to say I was trudging along the safe waters when it concerned him.

Danzo's take on history was so skewed that if I didn't know better I would think that the sun shined out of Konoha's ass. The man was carefully dropping in hints as to not to trust the Uchihas and even went as far as to note that even Konoha has some weeds in its midst that needs to be weeded out. While he phrased them in such a way that I can't call him out on it or complain to Hiruzen, I nevertheless understood his motive.

It was scary to think how eager Danzo was to bring me into his mindset. If I was an innocent little boy, I would have easily fallen for that. But, I wasn't. So, I carefully acted as if I bought into his ideology and made all the right noises to make him believe that I was hanging on to his every word.

It was during one of such lessons that I realized that being a Senju I have to be very careful in the way I interact with people. I couldn't blindly trust someone because there were a lot of people who would love nothing more than influence the lone Senju residing in Konoha. Tsunade was right. Being a Senju was not was an easy task. And being a Hokage's grandson is even more so. And I could entirely sympathize with her plight.

Each lesson with Danzo was a nightmare to me. Having to carefully balance between acting as if looking up to him and not being entirely hoodwinked by his ideals was not an easy task. Needless to say, I dreaded every moment of it.

Biwako, on the other hand, had gradually stopped competing with Danzo. I guess she picked up on my dislike for Danzo and was relieved by it. While she didn't say it outright, the tight hugs she gave me every time I finished a lesson with Danzo spoke volumes.

And I have to say I was grateful for all the hugs she gave me. Dealing with Danzo always left me feeling a little tainted. And with the amount time I was spending each week, I would have felt my entire being tainted if not for those hugs.

Small mercies…..


	4. Chapter 4 - Learning Chakra

**Chapter 4 – Learning Chakra**

Sometime after my third birthday, I had my first run in with chakra. Unlike how several fanfictions made me believe that chakra was a natural thing in Narutoverse, chakra had its own rules in this world. Every being in Narutoverse possessed chakra. The ones who unlock those things can become Shinobi. But unlike chakra, chakra coils are entirely different things.

The chakra coils or chakra pathways usually developed during the first few years of a baby. A baby's body doesn't automatically possess chakra coils. Rather, the chakra coils develop as the baby matures into a child. Any premature attempt to unlock chakra before the coils were entirely formed would eventually result in malformed chakra coils.

When I first learned of this, I began to sweat for I had tried to access my chakra for the past few months. After seeing Asuma begin to train with his chakra, I had secretly tried to access it. Seeing me sweat Biwako chuckled before beginning to explain how it is very difficult to unlock chakra when the coils are still being formed. Three years is an ideal time to begin chakra unlocking and hence Biwako had waited for me to complete three years before starting to explain about chakra.

I was immensely grateful to her for that. When I had calmed down a bit, Biwako stated my first lesson on chakra. Chakra, as I already know, is present in every living thing. Each and every one of us had unique chakra signature, capacity, and affinity. Some are greatly attuned to their chakra. Some are far less attuned their chakra. Some had large reserves and some had lesser reserves. Clans like Uzumaki, Senju, Sarutobi, Akimichi, and Uchiha had larger reserves of chakra in general. While clans like Nara, Yamanaka, Hyuga, and Inuzaka usually had lesser reserves. But, that doesn't mean it is set in stone. The capacity of each and every individual differed.

So is their control of that said chakra. Those who are attuned to their chakra more had greater control of their chakra and those who aren't attuned to their chakra more are had lesser chakra control. But, these all could be rectified with proper training.

But, there are unchangeable aspects of each individual's chakra too. For example one's nature. The Uchihas have greater control towards Yin chakra. While the Senjus and Uzumakis of the world had greater control towards the Yang chakra. Because those are what they are naturally aligned to. So is the elemental affinity of the chakra. The five basic elemental affinity of the chakra is unique to each person and however one may try they can't change it. So is the Kekkei Genkai aspect.

After lecturing me about the various types of chakra and its nature, she set me on my first chakra exercise. Unlocking the said chakra. The most ideal way to unlock one's chakra is to meditate and feel it on our own. In case of emergencies and extreme situations, an adult can unlock a child's chakra coil. If the chakra is failed to unlock before one hits his teen years, it can't be unlocked at all.

I spent a few hours each day trying to unlock my chakra. It wasn't easy either. If I had really been a child, without any preconceptions of how the world worked or some other things an adult's mind is tainted with, it would have been a walk in the park. Unfortunately, I had those said preconceptions on how the world worked and other things leading me to have a difficult time in unlocking my chakra. After the first week, even Biwako was beginning to get worried. Nevertheless, I preserved in my attempt to unlock my chakra on my own.

I could have easily asked Biwako to unlock my chakra. But then again it had its own drawbacks. Due to the external help, my chakra would always be difficult to control. Poor chakra control is a recipe for disaster for a Shinobi. And I didn't want that unless until there was no other way. There was a reason they only used it in emergencies.

Despite the frustrations the task brought me, I kept at it for a few weeks before I finally started to clear my mind out of all the distractions that were clouding me. In my past life I had heard about the concept called zen state. It was the only thing I could describe as the state I was in.

But the job was only half done. Honestly, after reading all those fanfictions you would think it would be easy to unlock one's chakra. But the truth could be nowhere close to it. After reaching the zen state, I tried various methods I had known to unlock my chakra. But all ended in vain. But still, I preserved in my dedication to unlock my chakra. And it paid off after ten weeks after I had initially begun.

It was a beautiful evening in Konoha. Rain was always a special occurrence in Konoha. While we weren't starved for rain like Suna, Konoha didn't get much rain either. But, I wasn't enjoying it like I usually did. Asuma had tried to drag me out to play in the rain, but I had refused to be budged from my meditation. Asuma had given me a weird look before rushing outside to get wet in the rain.

I slipped back into my zen state and started to think about various methods to unlock my chakra. But after a while, I realized it wasn't working. Sure, I had some progress with some of the methods but none of them had unlocked my chakra yet. And it was so damn frustrating.

Believe me, ten weeks of meditation to do a simple task which other kids took only days to do was so darn frustrating. Especially if you had an adult mind!

I emptied my mind once more and started thinking of some innovative ways to unlock my chakra. But, none came to mind. I could hear the raindrops falling from the nearby window though. The pitter patter sound they made was beginning to intrude on my concentration. Unable to concentrate further I let out a huge huff and began my process once more.

It had become a common occurrence that it didn't even phase me to go through all those steps again. But the raindrops were not letting me concentrate. This time I wasn't even able to reach the zen state in the normal way I used to.

So, I took a gamble and began concentrating on a particular area from the roof where the rain water was falling from. The constant drip drops soon soothed me and I lost myself in their sound. I don't know how long I held on to that particular sound before my mind began to calm considerably and I entered the zen state I was usually in, albeit with the sound of the constant drip drop.

And then it happened.

One moment everything felt normal and the next moment everything became clear. There was a strange sense of rush that usually didn't occur in this state. Accompanying it was a sense of clarity that I have never felt before in either of my lives. It was both calming and energizing.

I meditated for more than an hour before opening my eyes. Biwako was looking at me with a huge grin that spoke volumes. I could feel that she was proud of me for persevering until I unlocked the chakra. The hug she gave me was filled with joy and it gave me a strange sense of accomplishment. And I was sure I had a stupid grin on my face at that moment.

* * *

Well, I had initially thought that Biwako would start teaching me more about chakra once I unlocked it. Unfortunately, it was not the case. Instead, I was introduced to morning katas.

Days after unlocking my chakra I was ushered into the garden along with Asuma. From that day on, we both went through hell. Kata after kata, stance after stance, we were forced to perfect it. I am sure both me and Asuma felt that someone had taken over Biwako and was making us suffer. Strangely enough that feeling only persisted till we were in training. Inside the house though, Biwako was an angel as always.

Both Asuma and I went through Taijutsu practice each day in the morning until we could move no longer. There was nothing special about it. We were only learning the basics. But, Biwako expected us to perfect it to an insane degree that left us scarred for life.

Sometimes, Hiruzen would pop in and watch us train. Sometimes some other Sarutobi clan members would pop in. Even Danzo popped in to watch us train one day. I distinctly remember my heart beating faster feeling his eyes on me.

Biwako never taught us any specialized Taijutsu. She was content with teaching us basics. When I asked about it, she gave me a very simplistic answer.

"Hatorama kun, you are very young. As of now, all you need is to know how to throw a punch and kick. There is nothing more to Taijutsu than that. It is all about punches and kicks. All the fancy movements and jumping around doesn't matter. All that matters is your punch or kick connecting with your opponent. Don't complicate things. When you grow up, you can find the style that you are most comfortable with and then combine it to make your personal brand of Taijutsu. That is what Academy is for. Until then, you can relax."

Strangely enough, I understood her reasoning. She wanted us to be kids a little longer. Before we were inevitably ushered into the Shinobi world. And I can't fault her either. As far as she knew, a war had recently ended. She doesn't know that there is another war looming on the horizon or even worse shit was going to happen down the line.

But, I knew it was going to happen. And I didn't want to be defenseless when it came around. So, I took to my Taijutsu practice with fervent dedication that Asuma didn't possess. For him, at this age, it was a boringly monotonous activity.

I didn't mind the monotony though. I threw myself into Taijutsu like a man possessed. I tried to perform the katas faster. I tried to increase the power of my punches and kicks and I kept at it for a long time each day.

As expected, my dedication paid dividends. Pretty soon, I was far faster than any little kid had any right to be. My reflexes were honed to the level of a genin and Biwako stated that I would never have to worry about being bested in Taijutsu at least in the academy.

* * *

"So, what do you want?" Hiruzen asked us letting out a thick cloud of smoke from his pipe.

I eyed the rack of various weapons that were arrayed before me. Beside me, Asuma was checking it out too.

Asuma had recently turned six and will be attending the academy tomorrow. To celebrate the occasion, Hiruzen had taken some time off from his Hokage duties and had brought us to a weapons shop. We were each to get one item from the shop. We were allowed to choose though, and if it passes the adult's scrutiny he was willing to buy it for us.

Asuma, as expected, chose a set of brand new Kunai. I knew he was pretty hung on becoming a shinobi and there was no weapon more iconic than a kunai to a young kid. So his choice didn't surprise me. Instead of buying some random thing like Asuma, I eyed the wares displayed critically so that I could buy something useful for me.

"Hatorama kun, what do you want?" Hiruzen asked me after purchasing Asuma's choice.

I bit my lips before making up my mind and pointed at a particular object that had been pretty tempting.

"What's that?" I asked the shopkeeper.

"Oh this, this is something new that has come up on the market. These are called chakra weights. You apply some chakra here into this seal and the weight increases to a certain amount. They say it could be used for training purposes. But, I don't know if it is any good though. I mean… they are very new on the market."

Bingo!

That was actually something I had been searching for. With these chakra weights, I could both increase my speed and power at least double the level.

"I want them," I said in absolute conviction.

"Are you sure Hatorama kun?" Hiruzen asked me with concern etched across his face.

"Yeah, I want it" I nodded my head.

"Wouldn't you like a set of kunai or shuriken?" Hiruzen asked me.

"No,"

"If you are sure, then give me one of those. Something smaller in size that would suit him."


	5. Chapter 5 - Seals

**Chapter 5 – Seals**

"What are you doing Hatorama kun" Biwako asked me from behind.

I lifted my eyes from the object of my interest and looked at her with a sheepish smile.

"Oh! nothing, I have gotten used to my chakra weights by now. So, I thought that if I could figure out this seal then I can increase the weight without needing to replace the weights," I said trying to avoid looking into her eyes.

"Is that so?" she had an amused expression on his face.

I guiltily looked at the floor unwilling to meet her eyes.

Hiruzen had bought me a chakra weight set as per my wish. I definitely believe that they were new in the market because of how low the market for such things are currently. Also, my chakra weights were different from that of what I had seen in the series. Instead of going around my arms and legs like Lee had, this one was fashioned like a belt.

I could definitely understand the logic behind the design, but however it was cumbersome. Though it was designed to increase the total body weight - which is how I preferred by the way, it was ungainly and was a real pain to carry around.

Not because of the weight it added. though it might be a part of the problem, the main problem was the design. Until one got used to being pulled forward or backward everytime they bend or stretch, they can't even perform a single kick. I realized how it would be a problem for active shinobi.

I think that is why the design was changed later on. Maybe, this is a prototype. But as far as I was concerned, it didn't bother me much as i wasn't performing any active duty or heavy practice. All i was doing was running and practicing basic katas. As a bonus, it also helped me to train in the practice of keeping my balance always. Also, keeping ramrod straight to not fall on your face was helping me to get better in my etiquette classes with Danzo.

"So, what have you found out? Have you figured it out?" she asked me with a kind expression.

I huffed in response. It has been five days. Five fucking days! And I still didn't have a clue as to how the seal functioned.

"It's frustrating. I don't know how it works," I replied letting her know of my frustration.

"Maybe, you should ask someone who knows about seals," Biwako suggested gently.

I knew that was an option. But, I didn't dare ask for help because with how my luck is I would be saddled with Danzo of all people. I didn't want to meet that creepy bastard more than I have to. Having to spend one dinner per week in his presence was torture enough. Now that Biwako knew, that option might not exist for me.

"I don't know anyone who knows about seals and I didn't want to trouble Hiruzen-san with this. Do you know about seals?" I asked hopefully.

"No," and there it goes. Hiruzen would be too busy to teach me about fuinjutsu. That means either I will be saddled with Danzo or that creepy snake bastard.

"But I may know someone who knows about seals," Biwako continued, "Tell me Hatorama kun, do you want to learn about seals?"

I thought about it for a moment. While I never thought about learning fuinjutsu, it would be a useful skill to have. It was not as if I had anything else occupy me at the moment. With Asuma gone to the academy and finding new friends of his own age, I was mostly left in the home with no one to interact with other than Biwako. All I could hope was that someone Biwako knew was not Orochimaru or Danzo.

"Yeah, I would like to learn about them. Do you know anyone who could teach me Biwako san?" I asked a moment later.

"I will see what I can do, but no promises though," she smiled at me.

Later that night, Hiruzen was home for dinner for once and Biwako mentioned my new found interest in seals.

"I see, we can arrange someone to teach him the basics," Hiruzen said in reply.

"Don't ask Orochimaru. The kid can't stand him for some reason. I am not comfortable with him spending more time with Danzo either." Biwako said frostily

Hiruzen grimaced.

"I will have to ask Jiraya then," Hiruzen said after a moment of consideration.

I was sure my heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Ero-Sannin. Jiraya was one of my favorite characters Kishimoto had created. The man's shenanigans aside, his incredible drive and hard work had impressed me on more than one occasion. I chastised myself for forgetting such a prominent character.

"No, I will not allow him to corrupt the kid." Biwako refused without any thought causing me to be disappointed. "Find someone else."

"I will see what I can do," Hiruzen said gravely.

The first time I met Kushina was an unexpected surprise. Why? Because it somehow slipped my mind that Kushina and Minato were still alive. While I was regularly meeting Biwako, Hiruzen, Danzo and few of the other characters that were prominent in the series, I had completely forgotten that the Kyuubi attack is yet to happen and in fact, Minato is yet to become Hokage in the past few years here.

The older memories of my past life were becoming to get murky as of now. While I could still dredge them up in my mind if the need ever arose, I was conveniently trying to forget my old life and replace those memories with the new one. Well, my old life was anyway so… nope, not going there. It isn't important anyway. So, let's move on.

Kishimoto didn't do justice to Kushina's hair color. Her hair wasn't tomato red. It was even brighter and in the face red. I don't have a proper analogy to describe the correct effect those famous hairs posed. I think it would suffice to say it was both disturbing and alluring in a unique kind of way.

When I had dredged in from my morning practice of katas a few days after the conversation with Hiruzen, I saw Kushina chatting with Biwako. I am not ashamed to say I took a double take seeing her chatting with Biwako happily.

Seeing me looking at her in open-mouthed wonder, Biwako motioned for me to come closer. I closed my mouth and hastily got over my surprise and walked closer to them.

"Hatorama kun, this is Kushina san. She will be teaching you about seals." Biwako introduced Kushina to me.

"Hello, Kushina san. It is nice to meet you. I am Hatorama Senju. Please take care of me," I said bowing to Kushina a little awkwardly.

I still haven't gotten used to bowing to people whom I meet for the first time. I had to keep my itching hands from extending for a handshake. Danzo drilled me about this for more than a week before I could even consciously restrain my hands from reaching out on their own. Apparently, it is considered rude to extend hands to unknown people. Whatever!

Kushina eyed me critically for a moment in which I wiggled awkwardly. I wondered what would happen if she didn't like me. After all, Kushina was one of the most dangerous women in Konoha at the moment. Not to mention she is a bit hot-tempered. As I realized my predicament, I inwardly gulped wondering what have I gotten myself into.

"He is so cute!" Kushina gushed throwing me completely off-track.

Without pausing she lifted me like the child I am and swung me around all the while laughing. For my part, I eyed her in bewilderment. Here I was behaving awkwardly because I couldn't offer a handshake and bow instead just because it is considered rude. And this woman was breaking all social conventions Danzo has drilled into me for the past two years. Oh dear! This is surely going to be a hell of a time. I vaguely remembered that I hated meeting overly friendly in my past life.

Biwako chuckled from her seat causing me to turn and look at her. She smiled at me as Kushina spoke to her.

"Biwako san, you didn't tell me he was this cute. I thought he would be all grumpy like Tsunade san."

Immediately the room plunged into a dark mood as Biwako's smile evaporated. Tsunade's name was a sore topic in the household. Despite Biwako's amazing care for me, I still yearned to meet Tsunade. So much so that, I would always ask for Tsunade on every special occasion. I desperately hoped that she came to at least visit me. While I only asked to Biwako or Hiruzen, that too only once, they soon got to know that I was yearning to see my last living relative.

Even my good mood evaporated after Kushina's statement. Realizing that something was up as both Biwako's and my smile disappeared, Kushina stared around the room looking for something else that would have caused it. Unfortunately, she didn't find any.

"What? What did I say?" she asked nervously as she put me down.

"Please don't talk about Tsunade in front of the kid, Kushina," Biwako whispered.

Kushina looked down at me, who was understandably grumpy now, in understanding. I didn't bother to reply. I merely huffed and went to the loo to freshen myself up.

When I returned the atmosphere was still awkward. From Kushina's body language it became apparent to me that Kushina has been updated about my pining for Tsunade. My first lesson in fuinjutsu began soon after that without any delay.

Fuinjutsu or the art of sealing was something unique and apart from the norm of normal chakra theory. While the basics of both are born from chakra and its applications, fuinjutsu was a whole different beast.

When it came to fuinjutsu, you either had it or not. There is no two way about it. You can't half-ass it either. You either understood how the seals worked or you didn't. If you can't understand how the seals worked and how the chakra pathways are built in it, then you had no hope of understanding fuinjutsu regardless of how much ever effort you put into it.

And in order to understand fuinjutsu, you had to have lateral thinking capabilities. You can be a genius or a natural in weapons handling or a born Taijutsu specialist or any other thing in the world, but when it came to fuinjutsu you must have the capability to understand some murky concepts and have to think out of the box.

When Kushina explained to be about seals, my first thought was that it was akin to a human body or even better a circuit diagram. It had chakra pathways and gates that were akin to a human's body and the design itself was like a circuit diagram. A circuit diagram may look rubbish to an outsider, but to someone who understands it – it is pretty simple.

Seals combined these two elements together. While the design of a seal was like a circuit diagram, behind that outline it acted like a human body. Each seal was designed for a specific purpose and the seal can only be used for that specific purpose.

As you might have guessed, I got a good understanding of seals. I wouldn't say that I took to it like a duck to water, but it would be safe to say that I didn't have much trouble in understanding the convoluted maze that was called fuinjutsu.

It took weeks for Kushina to lay the groundwork for me in fuinjutsu. Sometimes it was frustrating, sometimes it was exhilarating like learning something out of ordinary, and sometimes it was dull and monotonous. Like now.

The most boring part about fuinjutsu is the part where you have to perfect etching out what you want to accomplish. Currently, I was sketching out standard explosive designs and Kushina was grading it with a critical eye. You don't just whip your brush and get the design right. The calligraphy shit it requires was driving me crazy. Each brush stroke must have an ideal amount of ink and there must not be even slight deviations. Even a small twitch of a hand was considered deviation.

No wonder I was beginning to hate it. If you think it is just an explosive note then I will explain to you why it needs to be so precise.

A standard explosive note had a common design. But, you could either increase the power of explosion or decrease it by adding some modification into the said design. The same could be done for the radius of the explosion and what not. I think you get the gist.

But, the biggest hurdle in that is that you need to know what the heck each and every part of the design does. If you don't, then forget about altering the seal, you couldn't even replicate it. A small mishap will make the explosive note a dud o even worse backfire on the one using it.

You have to know which part powers the explosion, which one acts as the timer, which one determines the power in the explosion, which one determines the size of the explosion and a lot more other things. This is just for a simple explosive note. Imagine what other kinds of components would be included in sealing up a Bijuu or creating a space-time effect like Flying Thunder God Jutsu. Needless to say, it is one hell of a task to learn even the fuinjutsu basics.

That is why fuinjutsu masters are so rare.

But it is not a thankless job either. If you become a fuinjutsu master you can create your own personalized seals. With personalized seals, you don't even have the need for ninjutsu. Seals can do that job for you. Personalized seals are a very scary thing indeed. You can even rig a normal trap with your personalized explosive notes. If someone tries to disable it the normal way, then they go boom.

Because there is no limitation when it comes to fuinjutsu. All it requires is for you to envision it and create a seal that will act it out and apply it.

The first advice Kushina gave me and stressed me to remember at all costs is that never to engage a fuinjutsu master on his terms. You don't know what the hell he had brewed up in his seals. That makes it hard to counter. The safe way to eliminate a fuinjutsu master is to catch him off-guard and eliminate him quickly.

It was a sane advice. A vague memory of Itachi disengaging from Jiraya even though he had Kisame for backup surfaced in my mind. And I decided to remember it at all times.

Oh! There goes my fantasy of raiding Danzo's root locations when I was strong enough. I knew for a fact that the bastard was more than decent when it came to sealing. If not anything, his scary seal that he has implanted on all his minions was a prime example of his fuinjutsu prowess.

My lessons in fuinjutsu slowly bore fruit and I began to slowly but surely become proficient in sketching out a seal. When Kushina volunteered to change the seal on my chakra weights I refused and told her that it will be a good incentive for me to learn fuinjutsu faster.

The smile she gave me at that reply sent shivers down my spine whenever I remembered it for the rest of my life.

It took four months, four long months, for me to change the seal on my chakra weights. And when it was done, I had a shit eating grin on my face for the rest of the day. And Kushina took me to one of the famous landmarks in Konoha for celebration.

Yup! You guessed it. Ichiraku's Ramen.

My, my, my, the taste of the Ramen was as delicious as all the hype about it was. But sadly enough I understood that I will never become a Ramen crazed person like Kushina or Naruto. While I may enjoy its taste, it wasn't spellbinding either.

And when we were walking back from the shop (after Kushina has eaten around six to seven bowls of Ramen and had the audacity to call it a small snack), Kushina asked me something that she had always wanted to ask.

"Hatorama kun, why are you so eager to meet Tsunade san?"

I thought about ignoring the question altogether, but Kushina had been so nice to me and I didn't want to be rude. Moreover, neither Biwako nor Hiruzen asked me why I yearned to see her. I didn't answer immediately. I walked for a few minutes without answering and strangely enough, Kushina didn't push.

Why did I want to meet Tsunade so much? Is it because she is also a Senju? No, it was because the woman tried to mask her sorrow for me even though I shouldn't be able to recognize it. She left the only family she had, after losing all her loved ones, just because she didn't want me to be influenced by her misery while growing up. That needed a strong heart and unconditional love for me. But, I was not supposed to know any of this. Then, how can I explain my longing for her? I mulled about it for a few minutes before answering.

"Because…. Because she is my nee-san," I said to her in a soft voice that conveyed my love for her.

"Oh Hatorama kun," Kushina lifted me up and planted a kiss on my cheek.

"You can call me nee-san if you want. I won't mind," Kushina said to me.

I only smiled at her in reply.

' _I can call you sure, but you would never ever replace her in my mind._ ' I thought to myself wistfully.


	6. Chapter 6 - Sensor

**AN/ Hi, this is my first author's note. While I prefer to keep the explanations to the minimum and let the story talk, I thought it would be a good place to clarify a few things as this chapter was rather shortish.**

 **The-Funeral-Pyre** \- Thanks for your rather longish revies. To answer some of your thoughts, OC's distaste for Orochimaru has definitely left some seeds of doubts in Hiruzen's heart. But, you have to understand that Orochimaru is Hiruzen's prized pupil at the moment and the OC is just four-year-old. That being said, those seeds will soon flower as the story progresses into the Third Shinobi War period.

Also, no, Oc won't be inheriting Mokutan. While the idea was cool, I felt that it would make him a little OP from the get-go. On the other hand, OC is more akin to Tobirama compared to Madara. The clues for it will be slowly revealed in the following chapters.

 **TyquanUchiha -** Yes, the Oc is a little too attached to Tsunade and there is a reason for it. All I can hint is that it is a past life baggage and will be revealed as the story progresses. While your other comments were rather harsh, I understand them to be your POV. I think anyone who is afraid of Orochimaru (any sane man would be) will try to create distance between them. Being a kid, crying was the only logical way OC could accomplish it.

 **BClassDemon -** Thanks to your review, I corrected an oversight in the previous chapter. Initially, I had forgotten to provide details regarding the Chakra Weights. After you review, I rectified it.

 **mangatown2010, RyusakiUchiha, Rodvek97, and the anonymous guest reviewer** \- Thank you for your supportive reviews. Kepp the reviews and your loves coming and I will try my best not to disappoint you folks.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Sensor**

I soon realized two things about Kushina. One – she is crazy for both Ramen and Seals. I think it is an Uzumaki thing. Her love for Ramen is obviously inherited by Naruto. As the series didn't showcase any other Uzumakis that much, I could safely say that. On the other hand, seals are what they became known for. So, neither didn't faze me much.

But the second thing I realized about Kushina is that she had no concept of social restrictions. She did what she wanted when she wanted. Social concerns and peer pressure be damned. Danzo constantly questioned me on social etiquettes after learning that I was spending time with Kushina. I think he was afraid that she will undo all the social etiquettes that were drilled into me for two years. And just for that fact alone, I loved hanging out with Kushina.

While I was with her, I was not a Senju. One of the members of the fabled clan which co-founded Konoha. I was just Hatorama – a four-year-old kid. She gave me space to be myself. Even Biwako had some expectations from me. On the other hand, Kushina didn't expect anything from me. I was grateful that she didn't stereotype me and place undue expectations on me. To her, I was just a kid and I was thankful for that.

But my fourth year in the world of Naruto wasn't a smooth sailing ship either. Midway through my fourth year, I was brought back to reality in a nasty way. Sakumo's fateful mission occurred.

When I heard about it, I was both shocked and relieved. Shocked because I had forgotten what this world entailed and was going on with my life as a happy child. While my thought process was that of an adult, I had conveniently embraced the kid aspect of this new life and was even enjoying it. My relief came from the fact that I was just a kid and nothing I did could change Sakumo's condition. Also, a tiny part of me was relieved to note that the events were transpiring as it did in the original timeline despite my inclusion.

Yeah, it's a shameful thought, I agree. But you have to understand that I had never gotten a concrete evidence that my presence hadn't changed anything. Tsunade's departure was both born of her sorrow and love for me. Asuma falling out with his father was the only logical conclusion noting that Hiruzen was the Hokage and had his duties. Even my suspicions on Danzo and Orochimaru were just that – mine and mine alone. None of that had assuaged me that everything was as it is in the series.

But, the Sakumo incident was a different thing. It would need an extraordinary amount of coincidences to occur one by one to create it. The simplest explanation was that everything was as it is in the original series, except for my inclusion.

It was both frightening and relieving at the same time.

If the events stayed its course, then I would have to face a world war, two invasions, a Bijuu attack and eventually all the shit will hit the fan when the last world war occurs in something akin to humanity versus aliens.

It also made me think if I was going to do anything about it. Sure, it would sound cool to interfere and make things right. But, I am a strong believer of the saying _"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"_. Going up and blindly messing with the timeline was not my thing. That way I wouldn't even be aware of the ripple effects it causes. What if my interference changes the final outcome for the worst? At least, Naruto and Sasuke defeat the Moon bitch in the original timeline.

Now that I had a new lease on life, should I squander it by simply messing up the original timeline? What if I get offed for my interference in the middle and the final outcome becomes terribly wrong? Wouldn't it be my fault?

Then again, would I even have the power to change things? I remembered watching the final war and feeling most of the characters in the series were being useless regardless of their skills. Only S-rank shinobi and people protected with plot armor were even able to stand a chance. Even that wasn't a big one. What could little old me do? What did I have? Will the name Senju alone would be enough to change things?

Nope.

It was so confusing. I decided to open the Pandora box when it actually affects me and let the issue rest for now. I also decided that my first focus should be on getting strong. Not just strong, but S-rank strong. I remembered Kakashi being handed his butt far too many times, despite being on par with S-rank shinobis. Unless until I had the capability to challenge S-rank shinobi, I had no business in interfering with the timeline.

No matter what people thought, that would be plain stupidity.

Change just for the sake of change would ultimately result in deep shit. As of now, things were going to be fine in the end. Until I become strong enough, I shouldn't mess with it.

That decision spurred me on to increase the intensity of my morning training. I started running a whole lap around the village in the morning before my morning katas. I avoided the early hours because so many people used that hour for their training. Instead, I waited till Asuma went to the academy to start with my training.

It went without a hitch for the first few days. But, it didn't last for long. On one such lap, a creeping suspicion came upon me. The spot behind my neck started itching and it felt as if someone was following me during my morning lap. I immediately curbed my urge to turn around and look.

Instead, I increased my speed a little hoping to shake off that feeling.

But, it didn't go away.

After running for about halfway, I took a breather and stealthily tried to locate the presence. No such luck. Even though it annoyed me that someone was following me, I couldn't do anything about it. Instead, I did the only thing I could do.

I completed the remaining portion of my lap in high speed. All the way to the house, I could feel their stare on the back of my head.

That night, after dinner, I took Hiruzen alone to the garden and informed him of the presence. He looked at me skeptically before asking me to inform if I felt such feeling tomorrow. I nodded to him in acceptance. There is no use in creating a fuss if there wasn't any repeat of the incident. If there is a repeat, then I would definitely have to be worried.

Have Orochimaru started experimenting on children? Was Danzo fed up with my progress and wants to go back on his word to Hiruzen? I wouldn't put it past the man to do something like that claiming that it was for the future of the village. Still, they wouldn't be stupid enough to kidnap the only Senju alive.

I hoped.

Because that would create quite a stir in the village and draw unwanted attention. Neither of them would want that.

* * *

So, the next morning I did my training lap as usual and pretty soon the feeling of being stared at returned. This time I didn't rush or take a break. I completed my lap in a calm, collected manner. The feeling persisted until I entered the house. And then, suddenly it was gone.

I dutifully informed Hiruzen about it.

Hiruzen thought about it for a while before asking me to wait and going into his room. He returned with a small sheet of paper in his hand and asked me to inject some chakra into it. Once I injected some chakra, it glowed blue. He carefully tore it into two pieces and performed some hand seals on either of them.

Now, both papers had identical markings and he gave one to me.

"Hatorama kun, take this sheet of paper with you when you go for your morning run. If you are in any danger, tear this paper. I will both know that you are in danger and your location. I will come as fast as I can to rescue you. Do you understand?" he asked me in a soft voice.

A normal guardian would have asked me to conduct my training indoors or even appointed someone to find out who is following me. Not Hiruzen though.

Damn Shinobis!

Nevertheless, I was grateful that my privilege to run laps across the village wasn't revoked.

I nodded my understanding and pocketed the note. Hiruzen gave me a reassuring smile and ushered me into the house.

* * *

The next day, I went about my training as usual and felt someone following me all the way through my lap. It happened on the following days as well. The note from Hiruzen gave me the confidence to deal with the situation. But, nevertheless, the feeling of being stared at began to annoy me soon.

So, I added an extra bit of training to my morning run.

The task was to identify the sounds my shadow made or spot his location without stopping my lap. The first few days were futile as I tried desperately to ascertain the location of my stalker. Whoever was following me was a trained shinobi. They knew how to keep track of me without showing their presence to me even once.

The situation began to frustrate me more and more and soon I was itching to know the location of my stalker as I maintained my morning lap. I tried listening, sneakily looking behind, altering my speed in the hope of catching them off guard and whatever came to my mind. None of it bore any fruit.

The frustration began to mount and I was almost on the verge of giving it up as a lost cause just to save some mental anxiety when something happened.

One day, after a few weeks of the initial event, I felt a strange feeling as if someone was watching me from the top of the tree twenty yards behind me. It was so sudden that I stopped running altogether. The feeling didn't go away the moment I stopped running either. It only intensified.

Without giving any indication, I sprinted fast and I felt something move through the air after me, still keeping the same twenty yards distance from me. I felt elated and started to divide my concentration in both sensing the person and running my lap. By the time I finished my lap, I was certain that the person I had sensed was my stalker. Whoever he was, his location kept changing either in distance or in position in relation to me. He maintained roughly around twenty to thirty yards of distance between him and me.

Once I latched on to his presence, it became easy to identify him. And I was pretty sure it was a him and not her. Soon, it became a routine of sorts for me to sense his location while I was running my lap. It looked like I had inherited Tobirama's sensing abilities. While I didn't inform about my new ability to anyone, I diligently used my stalker as a training dummy to enhance it.

I can't say that I was as awesome as Tobirama either. My abilities only extended to twenty to thirty feet and that too only because I know I was being stalked. The other occasions I tried to use my ability to sense the presence of people in the distance invariably turned up empty.

I wasn't disheartened. It only made me dig my heels in and hone my new ability. In the series, sensors were mostly used as cannon fodder. Apart from kage level shinobis, none of the sensors had any prominent role to play. In my opinion, it was one of the most underused abilities in the series.

Seriously, a person who can sense others approaching him would be far harder to get the drop on, than a normal shinobi. Not to mention, sensing can even discern the natural affinity of someone without even exchanging ninjutsu.

Oh, the possibilities this gives me….

I was glad that this new ability of mine was right up my alley. I can't wait to hone it into a level of art.


	7. Chapter 7 - Entering The Academy

**Chapter 7 – Entering the Academy**

I recently turned six and as it is proper, at least for a Senju, I will be attending the academy. There were no questions asked regarding whether I wanted to attend the academy or not. Decisions had been made for me without even my consultation. Not that I would have been against it if the choice was presented. It was just the principle of the matter. I was a little miffed about that. But, I wasn't blaming Hiruzen or Biwako. After all, I had been instructed in fuinjutsu and taijutsu, however limited it may be.

As for me being a sensor, I hadn't divulged that information to anyone else. It was my little secret weapon. I had no intentions to lose that edge. As for my stalker(s?), over the course of the year, they had become less prevalent. It didn't stop altogether, but nowadays the appearances were random. I didn't complain as it provided me ample opportunity to hone my sensing skills.

My fuinjutsu and taijutsu lessons came to a standstill after I turned five. For the past year, I have only been assigned reading materials on fuinjutsu to keep that from becoming rusty. My taijutsu, on the other hand, was good enough to easily breeze through the academy without any competition. I could easily defeat Asuma when it came to taijutsu even with my weights.

I wouldn't call that an accomplishment either, because Asuma has been recently so distracted with his crush over Kurenai. When I first came to know about it, it took me by surprise. While I knew they both were an item in the series, I had thought that they fell for each other once both had become Jounin or something like that. But, from the looks of it, Asuma always had the hots for her.

Let's keep those muddling thoughts of mine aside for now. Because I will be starting the academy today and I was itching to go there. I had always had a keen interest or a partial favor for the academy in my mind. It was where it all began in my mind. So, attending the same school where the story began was giving me a head rush.

Early in the morning I woke up and did my routine training regimen before rushing back inside to prepare for my first day. By now, my training routine has become somewhat familiar to me and it felt like I was missing out on something if I didn't perform it even for a single day. While my routine remained the same, I had increased the difficulty of my training regimen to harsh standards. With my knowledge of seals, it was easy to increase the weight of my chakra weights and keep challenging me on a daily basis.

Biwako offered to take me and Asuma to the academy on my first day. Strangely enough, Asuma refused to accept that offer and headed out of the home early. It was disappointing to me to see Asuma acting like that. I had thought we could hang out together during breaks in the academy. But from the looks of it, it was clear to me that Asuma didn't want to associate himself with me. While I could understand that he was distancing himself from the younger kid – hey, no one wanted to stick with their younger sibling when their friends were around, especially if girls were involved – it didn't mean I liked it.

My disappointment must have shown on my face because Biwako gave me a tight hug. I returned the hug gladly and we both stepped out of the house to go to the academy.

On our way to the academy, Biwako was greeted by several villagers. She returned their greetings with warm smiles and genial words. Soon, we reached the entrance of the academy and a lot of parents were milling around the gate waiting to see their kids off. There was a chunnin waiting for the new joinees at the gate and Biwako handed me over to him with a warm smile.

I could see the chunnin struggling to maintain the nervousness he felt in front of Hokage's wife and I inwardly smiled at this. But, what I didn't like though was the way he treated me after that. I think, the Hokage's wife dropping me off at school must have made me an important person in his eyes and he was beginning to be overly polite to me. I just hoped that none of the teachers acted like him. If the jealous looks I was getting from my fellow students were any indication that was not going to go well.

We were all ushered into a large hall that I dubbed it as an auditorium for the Hokage's welcome speech. Once we were all inside immediately cliques began to form among the students. I noted with strange fascination that the way the cliques were formed gave away the current political climate of Konoha.

The kids from Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi clan all banded together. Same went for the kids from Inuzaka and Aburame clan – that was an odd combination with kids from Inuzaka clan being brash and loud and the other half of that clique being aloof and distant. Several of the minor clan kids formed a clique of their own. The civilian kids also formed their own clique. That left the Hyugas and Uchihas to stand on either side of the room and glare at each other.

It was fascinating in itself. I looked around for a minute trying to figure out which clique I fit in before giving it up in favor of watching the Inuzaka clan members and their ninkens. They made a cute combination if I have to say myself.

Not long after that, Hiruzen walked in with his Hokage robes gleaming in the dim lighting that was provided in the auditorium. He was dressed formally in his hat, robes and all other formal accessories. The ever-present pipe on his mouth was strangely absent.

He welcomed us to the academy and started off a speech professing the Will of Fire and all the other propaganda materials to entice the kids. I could practically feel the positive energy buzzing out of the kids when he concluded his speech. He concluded his speech by expressing his hopes that we all will become a splendid genin and become the backbone of Konoha. If I have to go by the resounding applause that came at the end of this speech, I would say that he got all of the kids hook, line, and sinker. Even knowing that it was thinly veiled indoctrination speech, I can't help but share the excitement others felt in the room.

Soon after Hiruzen's departure, we were split into five classes and sent to our respective classes. When my name was called, hushed whispers and mutterings floated through the hall which made me feel strangely uncomfortable. I could practically feel all the eyes of the remaining students in the hall on me – especially the Uchihas.

I was assigned to the "B" section of the first year along with several of the clan kids and few civilian kids. From the looks of it, I figured it to be class on which the teachers will focus more considering the number of clan kids in our class. In the same vein, I figured that the civilians assigned to my class were either too low of a rank or too high.

Soon, we were ushered into our new classroom and I hastened to pick a convenient seat by the window. Don't get me wrong, I was really excited to attend the academy. However, I wasn't delusional to think that the academy could pose me any challenges. Sure, some of the curriculum may provide a bit of a trouble, but nothing seriously challenging was going to be thrown my way.

But, I had plans for that. I wasn't going to waste the time I spent in the academy. Instead, I was going to increase my chakra sensing skills using the other kids as training dummies. A group of kids who had only recently unlocked their chakra and had absolutely no idea on how to hide it from a sensor, please, this was a goldmine of an opportunity for me to hone my skills in the sensing department.

And like hell, if I am not going to abuse it!

"Hello, Senju Sama. My name is Inobu Yamanaka. Nice to meet you. I am sure we can be best of friends."

"Senju Sama, I am Kiriko. I would be honored to be your friend."

"Senju Sama, I am…."

"Senju Sama, My name is….."

"Senju Sama, what's your favorite dish?"

"Senju Sama, what's your favorite color?"

"Senju Sama…"

"Senju Sama…"

By the time the first month of the academy ended, a small twitch was beginning to form in my eyes every time someone said Senju Sama.

Seriously, I get it that Senju was one of the founding clans of Konoha. But, the number of people trying to cozy up to me was beginning to unnerve me. I couldn't fault them either. They were just kids. But, on the other hand, I felt like kicking the living daylights out of the adults who were trying to cozy up to me, even the teachers.

Given that any six-year-old kid would have reveled in the amount attention that was shown towards me. But I was not a little kid though. I had the mentality of an adult and it was frustrating to see the number of people that were trying to cozy up to me.

I have to be honest here, it even began to scare me a little. If I was a little kid, with the amount of attention that was being given to me I would have surely turned out to be a schoolyard bully sooner than later. That much attention could do nothing but spoil a kid. Luckily, I wasn't a kid.

In the eyes of the teachers, I could do no wrong. With two Hokages in my lineage and the third one being my guardian, I was on the fast track to becoming the most popular kid in the entire academy. I was so glad that Asuma was avoiding me. If even his friends had tried to cozy up to me, I would have surely lost my mind.

Oh! Did I forget to mention that the high-strung Uchihas were surely pissed? From what I gathered from the bits and pieces I managed to overhear, normally the Uchihas would be receiving this esteemed treatment. But, not in this case. Being the lone Senju that was residing in Konoha, I was the must-have friend in the academy at the moment. And didn't the Uchihas love it!

I could feel their burning glare at the back of my head every time someone tried to cozy up to me. Luckily, I hadn't attracted any crazy fangirls. There were enough Hyugas and Uchihas in our year to attract them. For the first time in my new life, I was glad for the severe visage I had inherited from my grandfather. Not to mention the silver, mangy hair detracted most of the female population of my class. It seemed as if I wasn't as desirable as the aloof Uchihas with their breathtaking beauty or aristocratic Hyugas with their pupil-less eyes.

Thank Kami for small mercies!

My enthusiasm for attending the academy was now turned into a grudging acceptance of my situation. Even the pleasant seat I had picked out for my convenience was not enough to raise my mood for the seat near it had become a hotspot for contention among my fellow classmates.

But, all was not lost though. I have a plan to get out of this mess. During the latter half of the month, I had tried my initial plan to partial success. All now I have to do is to cement the impression I had created in the first month.

After the start of the second week, I started to purposefully make myself appear as a dumb person. Added with my refusal to rise to any taunts the Uchihas in the class made, I was painting a pretty bleak picture of myself in others eyes. All in all, I was going for a cowardly look with a touch of dumbness added in.

While most of the kids bought my act by now – with the exception of those scary Naras (anyway I wasn't worried about them. It would be too troublesome for them to rip off my façade), the teachers were a whole different breed. Despite my dumb outlook, they were still favoring me because I was a descendant of the First and Second Hokage and under the care of the Third Hokage. So, I had planned something special to get on their bad side.

I initially thought of pulling pranks like Naruto, but then decided against it. People hated Naruto's pranks because of the whole demon thing he had going and they refused to acknowledge the ingenuity of his pranks because of that. If I did something like that, it would completely backfire on me. Instead of being shunned, I would be lauded as a Trap Specialist in the making. No, no, that could absolutely not happen.

Instead, I was planning to pull a Kakashi on them!

Yup! You guessed it right. The current Kakashi was now a stuck up prick (I heard that he had been already made a Genin and being mentored under Minato). So, I am going to steal the scarecrow's gimmick. It was as simple as that.

I had the original owner of the gimmick as my competition though. But, I was not worried about it. Obito maybe the originator of the gimmick, but Kakashi had perfected it to irritate people. And I was going to steal that.

The first step of my plan was commencing today. Exactly one month after the academy began. By my estimate, the classes must have begun by now and the teacher must have noticed my absence. But, I wasn't rushing. Instead, I was calmly looking at the village from one of my favorite spots – the Hokage Mountain.

I looked at the bustling village that was laid out before my eyes and watched the people go about their lives calmly. From what I can see from here, the stigma of the Uchihas was yet to catch and all was well in the village. While I might have overheard Hiruzen talking about the tension in the border to Biwako, it was nothing unexpected to me.

Deeming that enough time had passed for me to begin my new act, I got up and rushed to the academy. Just when I was about to enter into the academy, someone came barreling into me and I narrowly escaped falling down.

Supremely annoyed at the intrusion, I turned around to see my attacker – only to find someone rushing past me into the academy. I stood there for few moments and gaped at the distinctive blur of the Uchiha rushing into the academy.

It was Obito all right. Those awfully bright goggles and distinctive Uchiha hair confirmed me of it. I felt my heart beat faster watching him clumsily run towards the academy. And god wasn't he clumsy! I struggled to imagine the clumsy boy barreling past me into the academy as the one who was going to singlehandedly start a war with all the elemental nations.

I stood there gaping for a minute before a smirk emerged on my face. This was my first day and I was already beating the originator in his own game. Giddy with happiness, I slowly ambled into the academy towards my class.

As I entered the class full fifteen minutes late, drinking in the stupefied expressions of my entire class and teacher, a strange sense of accomplishment rushed through me. I walked directly to my seat and parked my ass trying hard to keep from smiling. That was when the teacher did me the ultimate favor…..

"Hatorama kun, do you have a reason for coming late to the class?"

Did I? Oh! Poor Bastard! You don't even know how screwed you are!

"Sorry sensei, I got lost on the road of life."

The gobsmacked expression he gave me was priceless. Well, I see why Kakashi messed with people with his laziness. Surely, this was more fun than I could have imagined.

Looks like I am going to enjoy this immensely.


	8. Chapter 8 - The Start of A rivalry

**AN: Sorry for the wait. I am happy that the fic is accumulating a steady reader base and I will try to take your input into account as the fic demands. As for Hatorama's academy stint, which a lot of you had expressed your concerns on, I am not planning to keep him in the academy for long. The reason for it will be revealed at the end of this chapter to you.**

 **Needless to say, I owe you folks an explanation for my absence. I have been busy setting up for my long-term dream project in the past two weeks. It is another writing project that I have taken and that's the reason for the delay. Now that it is up and running, I have come back here to give you a pleasant surprise of twin chapters. Yes, two chapters in this update.**

 **Hope you enjoy them!**

 **PS: If any of you guys are interested in Epic Fantasy genre, let me know and I will give you the link for my new writing project. Sadly, it is not in this site since it is an original story of mine.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 – The start of a rivalry**

I am immensely proud to say that my new project of irritating the teachers was a grand success. My homeroom sensei Ayako Moguma was pulling his hairs out trying to deal with me. Within the next few months, I have established myself as a bundle of trouble and my popularity in my class was diminishing day by day.

But, there were a few hitches though. After two weeks of my continuous late arrival, Hiruzen questioned Biwako why I was always late to school. Biwako was justifiably bewildered by the news and when she asked me whether any issues were there, I replied to her by saying that I was having the greatest time of my life.

Like the dutiful housewife, she recited my answer to Hiruzen who looked shocked to hear it. He looked confused for a few moments before stating that as long as my grades didn't drop he didn't have time to worry about it.

Apart from Hiruzen, there was someone else surprised by the number of complaints on me - Danzo. A week after Hiruzen's interrogation, my stalker - who was absent after my enrollment into the academy, returned to his duty.

I was gazing at the village from my favorite spot just before going to the academy when I felt the telltale prickle of someone watching me from distance. But he didn't catch me off-guard because I was expecting something like this to happen.

Honestly, I was surprised it took him this long to send someone to stalk me. But, I didn't deviate from my routine though. I stayed true to my routine and I could feel someone watching me until I took my seat after delivering one of Kakashi-esque excuse. The feeling persisted for a week before it stopped altogether.

As even the complaints to my guardian failed to make me come to the academy on time, Ayako sensei began to get frustrated with me. While he didn't punish me outright, he made his displeasure known by snubbing me on more than one occasion in class. Like the ducklings they are, the kids followed Ayako sensei's example and began to think of me as an inept individual. Pretty soon, I became the disgrace of the renowned Senju clan.

While the events were progressing as I had anticipated, I forgot to take another major factor into account. The Naras. The three Naras in my classroom were absolutely pissed with me.

Initially, they thought that I would drop the charade after a few weeks. But, when I continued to keep up with the charade even after accomplishing what I wanted, they became absolutely livid. Let me tell you, an angry Nara is a nightmare to deal with – and I had three angry Naras vying for me.

Seriously, what else could I expect? I was encroaching on their territory now. Hoodwinking the teachers is a time-honored tradition of Naras. And not only was I encroaching on their territory, I was one-upping them on their own game.

Justifiably, the Naras were pissed off with me. They were so pissed off with me that the trio even troubled themselves to come up and confront me.

"Oi Senju baka, you are making us look bad," Harami Nara yelled at me during lunch one day.

I looked up from my lunch box after finishing the last bite of the lunch Biwako had made for me. The spot I was occupying was a little away from all the kids as I preferred solitude to mingling with a bunch of rowdy kids.

Neuki and Soyoto stood beside her in their customary slouch eyeing me lazily.

"Aw! Harami-chan, I don't know what you are talking about," I lied through my teeth with a fake smile plastered on my face.

I saw her eye twitch in annoyance.

"Troublesome," Soyoto muttered stifling a yawn, "He is doing it purposefully. I am gonna take a nap. You coming," he asked Neuki.

"Ya, he is too troublesome," Neuki replied as they both slouched off with their Nara gait towards their preferred shade for an afternoon nap.

"Baka, stop coming late!" Harami wasn't ready to drop the matter though.

Harami was the typical Nara. Even more so than Neuki and Soyoto. She was constantly vying for the deadlast position in the class. Her grades were borderline passing and she took every opportunity to nap during the class. I can understand how my shenanigans were being a personal affront to her.

"Tch, it will be troublesome," I replied closing my lunch box.

"You! Teme!"

And then she launched at me with a furious growl completely taking me by surprise. There was no finesse in her technique. She was scratching and clawing at my face. I desperately tried to keep her away.

"Oi! Neuki! Soyoto! Get her off me!" I hollered at the duo napping in the nearby shade.

Neuki opened his eyes and looked at Harami trying to scratch my face before muttering troublesome and turning around. I gawked at him and would have yelled at the duo if not for Harami suddenly biting my hand.

"Ouch!"

My cry of pain brought the attention of other kids who were playing after their lunch nearby. Pretty soon, a crowd was formed around and the kids started cheering Harami on. I tried desperately to keep her from scratching my face or biting my hand.

But a furious Nara was not someone who was easily deterred. As I was concentrating on her hands and mouth, she suddenly kneed me in the groin causing a collective "ouch" to elicit from the watching mob. For my part, I bit my lips in pain and stifled a groan. Realizing that she wasn't going to stop with a single knee, I pushed her away as hard as possible.

Utilizing the millisecond gap in my defense, the little devil scratched my face with her nails before I pushed her away. I hastily got up and tried to flee only for the banshee to let out a furious growl and latch onto my back. I desperately tried to stop her from putting another scratch on my face all the while struggling to stay steady.

It was to this scene Ayako sensei arrived. He hastily pulled Harami off me and reprimanded her. Unfortunately, Harami was too furious to listen to sensei as she desperately tried to wriggle free from his grip and get to me. I scrambled away from the little demon and gasped for breath.

It took Ayako sensei five whole minutes to calm down Harami, and even after that, I wasn't letting my guard down. He announced detention for both of us and took me to the hospital. Harami was still giving me the stink eye when sensei escorted me to the hospital. In a childish fit of rage, I stuck my tongue at her from sensei's back causing her to start throwing stones at me.

Luckily sensei took me away before any of those stones could reach me. For a little girl, Harami had a scary sense of accuracy. If not for sensei, I was sure that I would have gotten a broken head before I was rushed to the hospital. Harami's detention was doubled to my satisfaction though.

And that's how the rivalry between me and Harami Nara began. If not for her, I am sure my academy days would have been boring to an extreme extent.

* * *

Before the day ended, me and Harami were the talk of the academy. No one has seen a Nara loose cool like that before. Every Yamanaka and Akimichi in the school were looking at me like I was a dead man walking when I returned from the hospital.

The Naras though, they saluted me while I walked past them. It was a strange sense of camaraderie for sure. I get where their respect for me came from. I managed to legitimately piss off a Nara and made them get off their lazy ass and attack me. And the fact that the Nara was the first aggressor made it even better. That was an accomplishment worthy of respect in their eyes.

The effect of my scuffle with Harami didn't just stop there.

That evening when Biwako asked me what happened, I told her the truth. She gave a dry chuckle and told me to lie better next time. But, when Asuma returned home and told Biwako about the story of a Senju and Nara brawling in the academy grounds like rabid dogs, Biwako looked torn between amusement and exasperation.

"Oh Hatorama kun, what have gotten yourself into? A rivalry with a Nara? That too a Nara women! You are in big big trouble, my boy," she said after composing herself.

My reply was just a scowl.

But, the surprises didn't stop there.

That night, as we were having dinner, Hiruzen walked into the house with a guest in tow. Shikaku Nara was every bit the lazy bum portrayed in the series. From his slouch to eye contact, everything about the man was screaming lazy to the onlooker. But there was a deep intelligence lurking behind those lazy eyes when he held my eye.

"I hear that you have made yourself the enemy of a Nara woman, my condolences," he drawled causing Asuma and Biwako to erupt in laughter.

Hiruzen, for his part, looked amused by the events. I had a big fat scowl on my face.

"Tch, troublesome," I replied.

Hiruzen erupted into full-blown laughter. I watched Shikaku's eyes twitch for a second before his lazy demeanor returned.

"Troublesome brat," he muttered before looking at me with a devious smirk.

"By any chance, do you know to play Shogi?" he asked me.

My eyebrows rose. Let me tell you, with my severe visage and silver mangy hair I cut an imposing figure when I raise my eyebrows – even if I am just six. I know it for a fact because I had tried it in front of a mirror just for the effect countless times. If Shikaku's mouth twitch was any indication, I am sure it was a success in this instant too. Just that the man was too lazy to even show surprise on his face.

"I am sure I can learn the rules if you can teach me," I said in reply.

"Mah! Mah!" Shikaku scratched his head lazily "Hokage sama can teach you the rules. I will play you some other time," he said before taking his leave from Hiruzen and Biwako.

I stood there with my face twitching in annoyance. I didn't know whether the man had purposefully asked whether I know to play Shogi or just he was too lazy to explain me the rules. Nevertheless, I chalked it up as Shikaku -1, Hatorama – 0.

Hiruzen watched me calm down myself with amusement etched across his face. When I finally sat down for dinner, Hiruzen gave the only advice he was willing to offer me.

"Never ever think you have them at a disadvantage when dealing with Naras," he said sagely before lighting his pipe and exhaling a smoke cloud all the while a small smile playing across his mouth.

I nodded in acceptance.

* * *

As the days progressed into months, I settled into a comfortable rhythm in my rivalry with Harami. Even Neuki and Soyoto took a step back and let us duke it out. Our rivalry was centered around the concept of who would hoodwink Ayako sensei more. We never competed on the same front. She had her methods, I had mine. There was an unspoken rule of not using each other's methods because that would be just boring and easily identifiable.

Whatever you may say, Ayako sensei was also a shinobi. A chunnin in fact. So, making it obvious would get us caught. Neither of us wanted that. That gave me the nudge I needed to let my mind go on a full drive in thinking up creative concepts to hoodwink sensei.

But all through it, I never dropped my grades though. It would be easy to do and I could even manage it in such a way that I could get away with it. But, I had another major concern lurking in the back of my mind. I had already ruffled Danzo's feathers with my Kakashi-esque act. I don't know what that man would do if I dropped my grades too.

And I was not willing to find out either.

So, I maintained my grades in the middle of the class. Drawing as much attention away from me as possible and all the while feuding with Harami. I have to hand it to her though. The little demon gave me a run for my money. She kept me up on my toes and she was the perfect fuel for my power.

Apart from the Naras and one Yamanaka in our class, none of them suspected our under the radar feud. According to the class, me and Harami hated each other and can't stand one another. Contrary to that belief, I think Harami was the only friend I had in the class.

It was a strange sort of friendship for sure. Because no one understood me better than her. Yes, we were rivals. But, we also looked out for each other. If someone was too violent with Harami during our taijutsu spars, the next time I faced them I would beat them into the ground with no regret. Likewise, if any girl was too rude to me on any occasion, Harami would take the next opportunity presented to her to rip her into pieces. We also had an unspoken accord. I will deal with the boys and she will deal with the girls. Neither of us enjoyed dealing with the opposite gender and neither of us wanted help if there was a problem with the same gender.

The exception to this rule was my animosity with the Uchihas. The Hyugas and the rest of the self-important pricks in the class had now started to ignore me altogether. But, the Uchihas was a different matter altogether.

We came from two clans that were feuding for far longer than anyone could remember. Naturally, we were going to be like fire and water. So, Harami respected it and left me to deal with them. But, the thing is that I wasn't playing their dominance game. I usually avoided all contact with them. Howmuchever I may loathe the self-important pricks in my class, a clash between the lone Senju in Konoha and Uchihas would be an invitation for Danzo to get involved. And I will be damned if I gave him any edge just because I couldn't hold my temper when dealing with little kids.

In short, my academy life was rolling smoothly when the inevitable happened. One fine day, all the residents of Konoha were called into the square in front of Hokage's office and Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen announced the official start of the Third Shinobi World War.

And I was sure that I didn't imagine the small glint of triumph that flashed across Danzo's eyes when the announcement was made.


	9. Chapter 9 - Normalcy

**Chapter 9 - Normalcy**

I honestly didn't know why Konoha even went to war with Iwa at the start of Third Shinobi World War. It was not as if the Land of Grass had any strategic value to Konoha. The Land of Fire was vast and had a good amount of resources to sustain Konoha without the land in Kusa.

From what I could gather, the official reason for Konoha going to war with Iwa was that we were trying to stop Iwa from encroaching Kusa. While having Kusa as a neighbor was fine with Konoha, they were not willing to have Iwa as a neighbor. Because of the tension between Iwa and Konoha, Kusa has become their impromptu battleground.

I am sure people in Kusa would be thrilled to learn that.

Kumo and Kiri haven't entered the fray yet, but they were watching like a hawk eyeing its prey. Suna was itching for a chance to pounce on both Konoha and Iwa and prove to the world that they are not the weakest of the five great shinobi nations. Ame was entirely silent and there were rumors of a civil war happening there.

Even at the beginning, it looked like this war would cause more damage to Konoha than it was worth. But, the tensions had been gradually rising and the war inevitably broke out. Initially, Konoha was reluctant to engage. The official declaration of war was just that. No offenses were undertaken by Konoha immediately.

But, Shinobi were dispatched to the front lines soon after the announcement just in case if Iwa pushed the offense. But for those living in Konoha, the change was only minimal in the beginning. As always with war, foreign goods were the first to be affected by it. Fewer merchants were daring to trade cross country and no foreign merchant was allowed into Konoha.

There was a mild stress in the streets and from my favorite spot to overlook the village I could see the strain in relations that were beginning to form. Strangers were given a wide breadth and distrust was in the air coloring the streets with its nasty scent.

But, life went on normally for me.

* * *

"Fujita kun," the fangirls swooned as my chakra sense registered Fujita Uchiha nailing all the targets in the bukinjutsu class.

I was keeping track of things as I idly lazed around as one of the onlookers as my classmates made a show of throwing weapons. Ayako sensei was overseeing the class with a critical eye. I wondered why the teachers allowed to the existence of fangirls considering that they were teaching people how to kill. Sure, attraction and infatuation are common occurrences at this age. But, I felt that the teachers must take a firm hand when it comes to over-the-top stuff like this.

After all, there was a war approaching fast and this attitude would only get them killed when they stepped onto the battlefield.

Not to mention the higher decibels in which the fangirls were swooning over. It was beginning to hurt my ears and I had six months to get used to this. I sighed wondering once more how fucked up the Narutoverse was.

Killing is a legalized occupation. Kunoichis were taught seduction and assassination techniques at the tender age of nine or so and are even encouraged to pursue it as a viable career option. There was a clear social divide between shinobis and civilians that was akin to a caste system or something. Above all, child soldiers – I still couldn't wrap it around my head even though I am now one of them.

But, it is not as if this world was entirely gloomy. There were things like chakra and the abilities to bend the will of nature and stuff that had going for this world. I wondered if I would be able to carry around weapons in broad daylight like I am doing now in my old world.

Pfft, the first thing I will get for that is a prison sentence there.

I spun the kunai in my hand in a familiar way and looked over at Hiromi Hyuga to see how he was taking the Uchiha's showing off. His face was carefully neutral and he had a disinterested air about him. Hiromi Hyuga was a main branch member of the Hyuga clan. And needless to say, Hiromi Hyuga was a Taijutsu beast. While he would give me serious contention at this stage, I would most probably need to undo the seals on my chakra weights to beat him.

Fujita Uchiha and Hiromi Hyuga were now locked in a one on one rivalry. After Hiromi beat the crap out of Fujita, Fujita has taken showcasing his bukinjutsu skills to the class with a newfound glee when he realized Hiromi was not as good in bukinjutsu. While Hiromi had a stranglehold on Taijutsu rankings, Fujita trumped him in bukinjutsu.

While these two were unrelated on the surface, the undercurrent was far different. A shinobi needs all these skills on the battlefield and the Uchiha has started to remind Hiromi that if it was a real battle, he would have won since he knew far more than the Hyuga when it comes to combat. After every beat down from Hiromi, Fujita would say that Hiromi was lucky it was Taijutsu alone if not, he would be a ball of ashes on the ground now.

While what Fujita said was indeed right, I couldn't honestly agree with him wholeheartedly. You see, knowing different skills are well and good. But, unless one knows how to apply them properly on the field, there is no use in that. Fujita might have an edge in bukinjutsu, but I am sure the Hyuga could easily defend himself with his Gentle Fist. And as far as the Grand Fireball jutsu went, Hyuga could simply escape it until Fujita's chakra ran low and he reverted to Taijutsu. And I had a suspicion, that the Hyuga had a card up his sleeve.

"Hatorama Senju," Ayako sensei called my name asking me to step on to the target range.

I lazily spun the kunai Hiruzen had gifted me for my academy entrance and put it back into my pouch before stepping forward to pick up the set of blunted kunai that we were supposed to use in the class. I stepped into the target range and let them fly one after the other.

Bukinjutsu was one class that I didn't need to hold back to avoid attention. While my throwing skills with kunai and shuriken were average, when it came to senbon I absolutely sucked. Six out of ten kunai embedded in the target, none were in the bull's eye, and four of them grazed the board but didn't manage to stick on the target.

I looked up to find a look of disappointment etched across Ayako sensei's face. I didn't bother to think about it much and retrieved the set of shuriken I was supposed to use next.

With a flick of my wrist, I sent the first shuriken on its way.

I loved throwing shuriken. I don't know whether it is the unfamiliarity of the weapon or shape of it or something else entirely, throwing shuriken was fun. I had never touched something like shuriken in my old world and seeing it rotate through the air and stick to the target (not in the bull's eye) was fun to watch.

In shuriken, I landed five hits, three misses, one grazing the target and one going so far away from the target board that the sensei even refused to count as a miss. Overall, it was a decent performance if I have to say myself. I still had some instinctive desire to keep the weapons close instead of throwing them away and I have to say it was hard to get over.

Ayako sensei was not impressed, however. He knew I am abysmal at senbon and from the look of disinterest he was sporting; I think he didn't even want to watch me try.

I picked up the thin needles of death and wondered how something so small could kill someone at a distance. It would surely be a terror in close range since its design made it hard to see and on account of how sharp it was. But, I can't exactly see its application in long range even when I knew how deadly these things could be.

I let them fly and as always none of my senbon hit the board.

"Pathetic," Fujita Uchiha drawled from the ground as I went forward to collect the weapons I had thrown.

"I can't imagine how Senjus like him used to be our foremost rivals before the village was formed," Kyoma Uchiha, the number one lackey of Fujita Uchiha, whispered in a voice that was loud enough for the entire class to hear.

I sighed inwardly as I picked up my weapons. Initially, Ayako sensei tried to moderate the barbs and scathing comments that came my way from the Uchihas as he knew how serious a small altercation between Senjus and Uchihas can become. But, when he realized that I was not responding to those barbs and was simply walking away, he stopped doing it.

Unfortunately, to the Uchihas and the rest of the class, it was as if he had given tacit permission now. While no one else dared to comment on my family owing to the fact that it was the famed Senju line, the Uchihas were an entirely different matter.

I finished fetching the blunted weapons I had thrown and deposited them back to sensei as he called out the next member of the class. The distasteful glare I was getting from the Uchihas was becoming to irritate me a little these days, still, I refrained from taking offense as I knew it had far-reaching consequences. After all, I am the one who is mature here.

* * *

"No, no, no. This is wrong," Kushina said landing a bonk on my head.

Kushina usually dropped by once or twice a month to review my progress in Fuinjutsu whenever her schedule allowed. We were currently reviewing one of the tasks she had assigned to me and from the looks of it, it looks like I have made a huge mistake.

"But, it is how this was shown in the notes you gave me," I scowled at her.

"I am telling you it is wrong," Kushina's eyes narrowed, "and who is the sensei here?"

"You are," I replied meekly.

"That's right. I am your sensei and you need to show proper respect to me. If I say its wrong, its wrong," Kushina stated regally before calming down.

She snatched the notebook out of my hands and started viewing it with a critical eye. And I watched her face turn stony and let me tell you one thing, if she made that face nothing good came out of it, at least for me. I inwardly whimpered wondering what I had done now to make Kushina mad.

"Hato kun," she began softly causing me to involuntarily let out a shudder, "how did you get this notebook?"

"Um,… it was with the list of notes you gave me last month," I hedged.

Actually, I sneaked the notebook from Kushina when she last visited since most of her reading materials were boring. I merely wanted to see what she was working on, but the notebook turned out to be an experimental handbook confusing me even further. But, I did learn a few things out of it though.

"Hato kun, are you sure I gave it to you?" her voice turned even sweeter.

"Um… yeah, I think so. Where else would I have got them?" I stated with a nervous laugh.

"Say, my possessions…" Kushina smiled with her eyes closed and it caused the hair on my arms to rise up in alarm.

Heeding the advice of my gut, I bolted out of the room trying to reach safety behind Biwako who was in the garden. At least I tried. Before, I could reach the door Kushina's chakra chain yanked me down and hung me upside down.

I watched Kushina sedately walk towards me with a sadistic smile on her face. And I will admit that it scared the shit out of me.

"You runt," Kushina stated happily, "do you know how much grief you caused me?"

I gulped….

"This…," she brandished the notebook in my face, "This notebook belongs to Minato kun. And he has been angry with me for the last month for misplacing his fuinjutsu notebook. Now, I find it in your possession out of all the places?"

Ah crap! I had made her boyfriend mad at her.

"You know, he refused to buy me RAMEN because of this," she said sweetly and all I could do was gulp in return.

Oh dear! This is turning out to be worse as each second passes. Kushina was obsessed with Ramen. Not only have I strained her relationship with Minato, but I have also stood between Kushina and Ramen. And in Kushina's books, the second one was a taboo.

I vaguely wondered what Kushina had done to Minato after he had refused her Ramen before snapping back to my own reality. It wouldn't matter what she had done to Minato if I can't escape out of this predicament. And frankly, Minato can go take a hike. All I wanted now was to escape Kushina's clutches and attain safety in Biwako's shadow. Biwako was the only one who could calm down Kushina with a look.

"Kushina nii, I will buy you Ramen," I said hoping the mention of Ramen would blockade her wrath.

Sure it was going to scrub out all my savings, but one's wellbeing is far more important than savings. I think this is a justifiable expense.

"Hmmm," the crazed look in her eyes somewhat eased, but it was not gone though.

"I will even apologize to Minato san," I was grasping at the edges now.

I honestly don't know what I could offer to Kushina. Usually, Ramen did the trick. But it looks like this time it won't be enough.

"Fine, but your workload will be doubled this month and you better put in your full effort. And baka, don't go poking around experimental notes. Learn to walk first before trying to run. Am I clear?" Kushina asked looking me in the eye.

I nodded my head meekly.

"Now, let's go get that Ramen," Kushina exclaimed happily as she released me from her chakra chains.

I landed with a thud. I groaned and got up before dusting my dress. Soon, our fuinjutsu notes were packed up and I saw Kushina pocket Minato's notebook with a happy smile. I felt a small amount of guilt knowing I had caused her grief. That woman needed all the happiness in the world to keep the amount of bitter hatred raging in her body. But, the thought of emptying my savings drove away all my guilty feelings.

I picked up my savings and we bid bye to Biwako before hitting the streets. Soon, we found ourselves at the entrance of Ichiraku's and Kushina rushed inside paying no heed to proper etiquette.

I ordered one Miso Ramen for myself as Kushina dug in beside me. I watched her eat away my savings unable to say anything. Watching Kushina eat Ramen was one of a kind of experience. Until first two bowls were done, she paid no heed to others. From the third, one any questions asked were answered with a mouthful of Ramen. And if you are not careful, your Ramen might be stolen if her order was running late.

When she finished her Ramen Rampage, at last, I reluctantly parted with most of my savings. Luckily, I had a few left that I decided to buy some Dango for. I would need all the cheering up after this debacle. The notebook didn't even contain anything worthwhile for me to endure this much grief. I sighed.

"Hato kun, I have changed my mind," Kushina said as we stepped out of Ichiraku's

"What?" I asked with a sense of foreboding.

"You don't need to apologize to Minato kun," she said causing me to let out a sigh of relief. "I think I may have some special punishments for Minato for letting this notebook come between our relationship."

Now, I truly felt pity for Minato. Kushina's normal punishments were a bit over the top. If she intended to do give Minato some special punishments…. I shuddered to even think of it.

"Instead," the relief I felt was gone instantly hearing that word.

Now what?

"Instead, I think we need to play a game. I have had some heavy food and I need a workout. How about a game of tag?" Kushina beamed at me.

I watched on in horror as she removed a senbon from her pouch and playfully twirled it.

Kushina's version of tag was a little different. She usually made me play it when she thought I was slacking off in her lessons. While a normal tag consisted of people chasing after each other, Kushina's version of tag contained her chasing me all around the village. While that could be managed, the second variant she added to the game was the troubling aspect. She not only chased me, she also attacked me during the chase - mostly with senbons, stones and other utilitarian items lying around the village as they tend to be non-lethal.

I ducked under the senbon she threw at me and raced off without pausing with my heart beating heavily. I could hear the she-demon cackling madly behind me as my chakra sense registered her pursuit.

Minato can go take a hike. Fuinjutsu can go take a hike and even my savings can go take a hike. All I wanted was to escape from the woman (who had incidentally eaten away my savings and was chasing me with senbons and stuff to relieve the drowsiness that was caused by overeating) and reach safety beside Biwako.

I ducked under a stone she had aimed at my head and switched the directions towards the home. Seeing my intent, her next flurry of senbons blocked my path.

Ah crap! This is going to be a long return to home.

I switched directions midway and escaped the senbons only for a chakra imbued empty Dango packet to hit my shoulders and send me reeling. I got hit thrice by stones before I regained my stride and started escaping the projectiles she sent my way.

This is not fair! That notebook didn't even have anything worth!

* * *

All in all, life was going normally for me. Getting up, finishing my morning Taijutsu practice, running a lap around the village, watching the village from my favorite spot for a few minutes, going late to the academy and giving one obnoxious reason after the other to Ayako sensei, feuding with Harami behind sensei's back, practicing my chakra sense, ignoring the Uchiha's taunts, coming back to home from the academy, reading fuinjutsu materials assigned to me by Kushina, watching Asuma and Hiruzen grow apart slowly, giving a hug to Biwako to reassure her, and eventually going to sleep.

Yep, life was indeed normal for me despite the war looming ahead. That normalcy lasted until I was summoned to meet Danzo in his home for lunch one fine day.

Crap!

* * *

 **AN: He He! Sorry for the small cliffhanger. Couldn't resist :)**


	10. Chapter 10 - Moderation

After deeming me proficient enough to not to make a mess in social functions, Danzo has stopped to meet with me for lunch once a week. The invitation came off as a great surprise to both Biwako and me. Not wanting to offend the elder, Biwako sent me to the lunch with worry etched across her eyes.

I met Danzo in his home in a formal attire that I felt uncomfortable to wear. Yet, as trained I didn't show any discomfort in my face as we started off with tea.

"I am surprised Hatorama kun, I really expected you to arrive late for our meeting," Danzo said mildly sipping on his tea.

I sipped my tea a little before replying "I do not arrive late if I don't intend to, Danzo sama."

Danzo eyed me for a minute or so before taking another sip from his tea. I refrained from draining my cup and sipped again. Danzo placed the cup on the table and spoke.

"But, the reports I get from the academy states differently Hatorama Kun."

I didn't reply. Instead, I sipped my tea calmly trying hard to mask my accelerated heartbeat. If there is one thing I have learned about Danzo from dealing with him all these years then it is the fact that he is a certified snake. He usually lets you have enough rope so that you can hang yourself in the end. So, the best course is to stay silent and let him talk.

"I was disappointed to learn that you are not taking your studies seriously Hatorama Kun. I, for one expected you to graduate from the academy within a year like that Sakumo kid. But," he paused there to let me know that I had disappointed him a lot.

His tone was mild. But the way he spoke and his inflections on certain words made me realize that his patience had run thin.

"Senju are the foremost protectors of this village. Even more so than any other clan. That's why two of the clan members have held the title of Hokage and one of their students is holding the title currently. Their unstoppable prowess is what has made this village so strong. They are the reason for us to win not one but two shinobi wars…"

' _And that is the reason I am the last Senju residing in Konoha. They are all dead because they were stupid enough to run directly to the frontlines waving their dick'_ I thought grimly.

"And now another war has come to our doorstep. Now there are no more Senju and one wonders whether we can win this war without them. While the village is facing a desperate struggle for its survival, the last heir to the fabled protectors of Konoha is playing kid games with a Nara and amusing himself…"

My entire body went cold.

He knows…. He knows… And what do I do now? Is Harami in danger because of me?

Though I panicked inwardly the only sign of my agitation was the tremble in my fingers. And like a hawk Danzo's eyes caught it. He smiled slowly letting me know.

"I think it is time you stopped this charade and applied yourself wholeheartedly into your studies. After all, we don't want the rumors of you being a disgrace to Senju lineage become true. If it happens, I will be sorely disappointed to learn that my sensei's blood brought forth a failure."

I nodded slowly and placed my cup on the table.

"I assure you Danzo sama that I will put all my efforts into improving my performance in the academy," I replied sincerely.

The lone eye devoid of bandage said to me that I better do it or the consequences would be terrible. I inwardly shivered thinking of the creep getting his hands on Harami, my only friend. If all I have to do was to drop the façade I was maintaining, then it is a small sacrifice to do to keep this creep from getting his hands on my friend.

"If that is all Danzo sama, then I will take my leave," I said politely trying to get away from the creepy bastard as soon as I can.

"I asked you for lunch, Hatorama kun," Danzo stated calmly knowing full well his warning has been duly received.

"I am afraid my appetite is gone Danzo Sama. I would loathe wasting your hospitality," I smiled politely inwardly cursing the bastard to seven hells and beyond.

"Hmmm I see, very well. A budding tree always needs a small nudge here and there. I am sure you will take my advice to the heart. You may leave for now. If I am unsatisfied with your progress I will surely let you know," he said calmly.

Translation – you will sure as hell know if I am not happy with your progress. And it would most probably include that said distraction going missing or turning up dead.

I nodded before getting up and making my way to the door. Just as I was about to cross the threshold Danzo's voice stopped me.

"Your cousin brought disgrace to the legacy of the First Hokage and I am sure you won't repeat your cousin's mistake," Danzo said mildly.

And as usual, when someone badmouthed Tsunade, my temper went out of control for a moment and….

Crunch!

A small piece of wood from the door was residing in my hand. Danzo looked at it and raised his eyebrow.

"I would prefer to keep my cousin out of this Danzo sama," I said in a tightly controlled voice not turning to look at him.

"Your cousin is a coward boy, you would …."

"Some things are not up for debate Danzo sama," I interrupted him rudely turning my head to look into his eyes as I said it.

I knew my eyes were red. Like Tobirama's. It has been always like that. When I lose hold on my temper, my eyes would automatically turn red. And I think for a moment Danzo mistook me for Tobirama too if the wide eyes on his face were any indication.

"I see," he narrowed his eyes.

"I will take my leave Danzo sama," I said, bowed once and turned and started walking.

The piece of wood in my hand was nothing but grains by now. I knew I had acted out of order. But the man had been pushing one button after another. I don't know if he is going to retaliate for this. But, I didn't care.

When I returned home, Biwako took one look at my red eyes and enveloped me in a tight hug.

"Can you ask Hiruzen san to let Shikaku san know that I would like to play Shogi with him tonight?" I asked.

She looked at me for a moment before nodding.

"I will tell Shikaku myself," she said smoothing my hair.

As always, it refused to bend. She let out a rueful chuckle.

"Go, wash and come. I will set up a lunch for you."

I nodded unable to speak anything and rushed inside.

By the time Shikaku dropped by for the Shogi game, I was back to normal. Though there was a strange fear for Harami inside, outwardly I was calm enough to hold a conversation without raising any suspicion.

We set up the board and started playing. Our games usually took some time and were usually conducted in silence. While I never defeated him even once, I wasn't steamrolled either. It was well into the tenth minute of the game when I spoke breaking the tradition.

"Tell me Shikaku san, if you want to free a child from distraction what would you do?"

Shikaku didn't reply immediately. He eyed me critically once before continuing to play. He took his sweet time to reply. I waited; because I wasn't in any hurry either. After about exchanging five moves or so Shikaku replied.

"I would take away the object of the child's distraction," Shikaku replied.

We exchanged a few moves and I felt the time was right to drop the hint.

"What if it was a person instead of an object that is distracting the child?" I asked and moved the piece "Check."

Shikaku's hands stopped moving and he looked up at me. I gave him a meaningful look. He didn't reply instead he countered my move and we played on.

After a long series of exchanging moves and when he was in a dominant position Shikaku spoke.

"That is a serious question you are posing, gaki. What brought this on?" he asked moving one of his pieces to entrap my bishop.

I safeguarded my bishop by interposing a pawn and the game went on for a few more exchanges before I replied.

"I met Danzo sama today," I paused watching his reaction.

Shikaku's eyes narrowed at the mention of Danzo's name.

"Some of the questions he asked made me think," I said nonchalantly as I used my king to safeguard my queen.

Shikaku eyed the board and looked at me critically before nodding once in understanding. The ever-present lazy tilt of his lips was gone. Instead, a thin line replaced it. I sighed in satisfaction and from that moment on he played to entrap my queen and I played to safeguard it at all costs.

Needless to say, I lost the game quickly after that.

"Thanks for the game," Shikaku said before leaving me alone with the Shogi board.

I watched the board critically trying to analyze what I had done wrong. The queen being safeguarded by my bishops and remaining pawn while the King was entangled by a lot of Shikaku's pawns. I let a smile blossom across my face before knocking the king over with a flick of my fingers.

I sighed and closed my eyes in contemplation as I debated what to do with the situation. While safeguarding the queen was the right thing to do when Shikaku was trying to entrap it, I had heedlessly sacrificed the king without much thought.

While the objective was achieved, the game was lost. It was not a viable strategy. Then, how could I play this. I can't hold my king back because the king needed to be there in the field for the queen to escape. But, was sacrificing the king the only way?

I mulled over it for a few more minutes before the answer came to me.

Moderation. That's it!

The key in both safeguarding the queen and not losing the game was moderation. While the King needs to be in play, it doesn't mean that the king has to be heedlessly sacrificed to save the queen. Moderation was required to both save the game and queen. That way I could drag the game a little longer hoping that the board changes.

Moderation huh? Well, at least I have an alternative.


	11. Chapter 11 - War on the horizon

When I turned seven, the milestone I had marked for the official start for the Third Shinobi War came to pass. Asuma graduated from the academy as a genin at the tender age of nine. Instead of four years of usual graduation, Asuma and his fellow age group were ushered out of the academy one year earlier. And of course, Team Minato was formed alongside them.

That was the first milestone I had marked for the start of Third Shinobi War. The formation of Team Minato. Things haven't erupted into a full-blown war yet. But, the tensions were slowly but surely increasing. If I was not mistaken, within two years, the Kanabi bridge incident will come to pass, which will mark the beginning of the end of the Third Shinobi War.

Not only Asuma's class, the entire academy was running in a fashion that was akin to a fast-paced environment. While they didn't outright rush our education, nowadays there weren't any of our usual free periods. It was one class after the other. Even students who were performing poorly were promoted to the next level. After all, they needed some cannon fodder right.

My class, on the other hand, was soon becoming the upcoming graduating class. Even though I was full two years younger than Asuma, I reckoned that I would graduate from the academy in the next term. Not only me, the thirty odd students who were in my class too. As my class mostly consisted of clan kids, the teachers were dedicating more and more attention towards us than other classes.

It was blatantly apparent that they were operating under immense pressure to dole out more shinobis to contribute to the war effort. Theoretical classes were gradually reduced in favor of practical sessions and some of the kids from Yamanaka clan were already missing. My best guess regarding their absence was that they were all under some kind of apprenticeship – after all, they specialized in intelligence gathering which needs some specialized training.

The Hyugas and Uchihas in the class were acting more snobby and in the face than ever. Every spar we had was now turned into a full-blown taijutsu competition. I was secretly glad that we weren't actually allowed to use ninjutsu during spars. After all, with the state the Uchihas were in, I wouldn't guarantee them not roasting another student with their fireballs. Even the civilian kids were eagerly preparing to graduate from of the academy.

As I watched all this unfold, I couldn't help but feel sick at the morbid way this world was running on. While I had gradually warmed up to the idea of being a child soldier, it was sickening to see seven-year-old kids eager to go to war. It just wasn't right. And there was nothing I could do about it either. All I could do was to make myself stronger to survive the upcoming war.

As for me, after my meeting with Danzo, I stopped coming to the academy late. The first day that happened, the amount of incredulous stares I got for arriving on time was just sublime. But when the practice continued for the rest of the week, even my teachers were stupefied by it. I think they never expected me to get out of the habit. I can't blame them either. I haven't changed it even after they complained to the Hokage. But, suddenly all of a sudden I started arriving on time.

Needless to say, every one of my teachers was pleased. They called it progress and started complimenting me once more too often for my liking.

"It's the war I say… I mean, it's in their blood,"

"Yeah, the war must have driven the kid to focus more,"

"I always knew he was a good kid. Just that he needed the proper motivation,"

"It's in his blood to protect the village. No wonder he changed."

If I wasn't an adult in my mind, I would have flipped my shit with the complete one-eighty degree transformation in their attitude towards me. But, I didn't just improve that. I slowly started climbing the class ranks and entered the top ten rankings.

Because I knew if I didn't show proper improvement Danzo would do something to Harami. Just coming to class on time was not going to cut it. And speaking of Harami, boy was she pissed.

"Oi Senju baka!" Harami cornered me one day well into the third month of my attitude shift after the classes were finished.

As expected Neuki and Soyoto were idling around the corner lazily allowing us space to have our conversation.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

Initially, I had prepared to belittle her and drive her away if she confronted me. But seeing her eyeing me with concern, I hesitated. I wondered if it was the right way to deal with her.

What was I thinking? Should I hurt my only friend at the academy and drive her away? Not to mention, that it will be exactly the kind of reaction Danzo would want out of our encounter. Driving people away and slowly isolating myself bit by bit. He would love that, wouldn't he? After all, people who had no friends are easy to bring to the dark side.

"Nothing," I mumbled trying to walk away.

"Oi teme," she grabbed my hand and forcefully turned me around.

I kept my head low not wanting to meet her eyes. I idly wondered what was she feeling right now. I had betrayed our rivalry and I didn't even have the decency to let her know that I was pulling out of it. Would she be angry? If she was, then she had all the right to be. Even though I was doing it for her, she didn't know that, did she?

"I thought we were friends baka," she said to me causing me to wince, "why are you acting like this?"

Ah! I can't let her know either. Sure, it would be easy to tell her but the results could be catastrophic. I didn't know what Danzo would do to her if he knew that she knows about him threatening her to motivate me. Neither did I know what Harami would do. I hoped that she would be reasonable; after all, she was a Nara, right? Right! She was also a seven-year-old kid. Unlike me.

"A Senju can't have friends who are pulling him down," I said trying to bring as much venom I could bring into it.

I saw Neuki and Soyoto stiffen in the background. Good, that looks like it worked out. When I moved my eyes to Harami though, she wasn't taken aback. Instead, she was scrutinizing my face as if she could catch me lying.

"What?" I asked in annoyance.

"Tch, troublesome. That's why Shikaku sama comes by our house every week huh," she said nonchalantly.

I stared at her in surprise. There it was - that scary Nara intelligence. All it took her to piece things together was me uttering something I didn't mean. She had immediately made the connection for my new behavior with Shikaku's frequent visits to her house and almost figured out the whole thing. Seriously, she is what? Seven? If her reasoning skills were this sharp at this age…. I shuddered inwardly thinking about how scary she was going to be once she grows up.

"Who was it?" she asked her eyes narrowing.

Guessing about what could have happened is one thing, guessing the identity of the perpetrator with no clues is something else. Luckily, she doesn't know who did it. It was the only saving grace of the situation. If her earlier reaction was any indication, she wouldn't stand by idly. Oh silly girl, while it is adorable to see you ready to be my knight in shining armor, you have no idea about the kind of snake you will face.

"Tch, troublesome. Wanna have Dango?" I asked as I started walking.

"So, you are not going to tell me," she said as we started walking towards the academy gate with Neuki and Soyoto following us at a distance.

Nope! Not on my life girly. You may be a scary Nara, but Danzo is waaaaay out of your league. Even Shikaku treads carefully around that snake.

"If you are not going to tell me, then I will have to guess myself," she said with a finality that made me shiver.

Shikaku was right. Nara women are more scarier than any other clan woman.

"Let's see, you are a Senju - one of the founding members of Konoha. Not to mention you personally are a relative of two Hokages and are under the care of the Third. So, that narrows the number of people who could legitimately threaten you."

"No one from other major clans will be interested in your improvement enough to motivate you as the dominance of Senju clan has only recently diminished. And they will more probably prefer you as a weakling. So.…."

I grabbed her by the arms and shook her before looking into her eyes.

"DON'T PURSUE THIS!" I said with all the seriousness I could muster.

For a second, she looked as if she was scared of me. Then she slowly blinked and watched me quizzically. I didn't break my gaze.

"Do you understand me?" I hissed shaking her.

She hastily nodded and I let out a huge huff before releasing her.

Seriously, the girl was scaring me as each moment passed. The manner in which she was breaking down the situation analytically to find out who did it was plainly unnerving. But, I couldn't allow her to go on that path in good conscience. She may be intelligent enough to guess the suspect eventually, but if she knew what is good for her she will leave this matter as it is.

After all, intelligence didn't automatically translate to wisdom.

"You are kind o…" she mumbled not looking at me.

"What?" I asked unable to catch her words.

"You are kind of scary when your eyes turn red," she said breathing out as Neuki and Soyoto caught up to us.

"Huh," I blinked in confusion as I looked around.

For some reason, Neuki and Soyoto looked a little agitated. Then I remembered that they were trailing us at some distance and me suddenly grabbing her would have not been an ideal thing to do. Yet, the two bastards had strolled up to us without any hurry. Damn Naras and their laziness.

"Your eyes are red Senju baka," Harami huffed in annoyance.

"Ah! It occasionally happens," I said sheepishly scratching the back of my head.

"Whatever, you told you would buy me Dango as an apology. Let's get going," she walked towards the distant Dango stall with her lazy Nara gait.

"Oi when did I say it was an apology?" I asked as I joined her as we walked towards the Dango stall.

"Tch Troublesome, Don't argue with her when it comes to Dango," Soyoto told.

"Why?"

"She is touchy about her Dango," Neuki replied, "Once, one of the clan kids…."

(*****)

Say whatever you want, having Dango together is a bonding experience in my opinion. From that moment on, Harami and me never bothered to hide our friendship. I even got Neuki and Soyoto as sort of my extended friend circle. We usually hung out together in the academy.

During the first few weeks of us not bothering to hide our friendship, we surely raised a few eyebrows. Those who remembered me and Harami scratching and clawing at each other (mostly her…. Cough… Cough…) were surprised by our newly showcased friendship. Ayako sensei merely raised an eyebrow after seeing us hanging out with each other.

I also learned a few important things during those weeks. While the Yamanakas, Naras, and Akimichis usually had a good relation, it didn't mean every one of them was close to each other. Sure they stayed in contact with each other, but there weren't many people who were close like Ino-Shika-Cho.

The other thing I learned was entirely about me. Due to my previous aloof attitude and overall shenanigans, my fellow students' opinion of me was that of a lazy bum who was dumber than a brick. Hell, some students even thought that my grades were average just because of my name and the teachers were forced by the Hokage to show partiality. Overall, my image was that of a slacker with average Taijutsu skills who was riding the coattails of the famous Senju name.

I couldn't help but chuckle when I learned of this. After all the shenanigans I went through to make sure that the teachers didn't treat me special, some kids thought that I was shown favoritism. I have to admit that I kinda felt insulted by my overall image. Especially that riding the coattails bit.

The feeling lasted for maybe a day or so, and then I chucked it into the back of my mind and went about my work in the usual way. As far as I was concerned, as long as I was being underestimated by people I had a chance to survive this world. I am serious about that. Until I become an S-rank ninja, it is better to be underestimated.

Apart from us hanging out with each other, nothing changed. Harami was still the deadlast. She was even impressive enough to let the civilian kids beat her. I still hovered at the bottom spots of the top ten. Neuki and Soyoto were somewhere at the bottom of the class rankings too. They never stayed constant so it was difficult to pin them down. Sometimes they would be in the last five, sometimes a little higher. But I digress. I think you all get the point.

When the break before the final term (in my estimate) arrived, things began to change with the war. Three days after my vacation began, Asuma rushed into the house grinning widely. There was spring in his steps and he directly dashed into his room.

When he came out, he informed me that he had been given his first C-rank mission with a happy smile. I watched Biwako's eyes tighten a little. Other than that, she masked her unease well. She acted every bit the concerned mother and made sure he had all his equipment before Asuma dashed off. I watched her stare after his departing visage for some time before moving to hug her. The way her arms tightened about me possessively let me know how worried she was.

As the break progressed I watched the village turn more somber and somber. The unseen tension that was existing in the village began to strengthen and I watched it all from my usual gazing spot with a heavy heart. It was depressing to watch the streets that were once filled with a lively energy turn into something grim progressively. People looked at each other with distrust and the overall mood of Konoha turned a little darker.


	12. Chapter 12 - Helplessness

**AN:** Hi everyone. I am glad to announce that the fic has gathered more than 10,000 views and 200 followers. As an author, I am glad about it and I really appreciate the support you folks have given to me and the fic.

Also, I have made it clear that I prefer to keep the author notes to the minimum and let the story talk. I find that some things that were explained between the lines were not clear to a few of the readers. So, I am elaborating them here a bit. So, bear with me. (If you don't want to, you can skip directly to the story. I won't mind it. Promise :-)

 **First** \- this is **not an overpowered OC fic.** If you expect the MC to learn multiple jutsus on the get-go and thrash people who have more experience than him easily, this is not the fic for you. Rather, if you want an MC to figure things out, earn his spurs, and try to help as many people as possible, then you can read on. Also, jutsus won't be taught to the MC willy ninny just because he is a Senju, because it would be unrealistic.

 **Second** \- the **MC is very much human**. Hence, he will be directed by his emotions more often than not. He is prejudiced, scared, always expecting something to go wrong even though he doesn't say it outright. And he is also only a seven-year-old who recognizes how powerless he is in the grand scheme of things. So, there is selfishness, a hunger for power and determination to not go out quite if the day ever came.

 **Third** \- while the MC is an adult in his mind, he has only the body of a seven-year-old. And seven-year-olds are not given that much credence in a war-torn world. And which adult wouldn't want to act as a child when given a second chance. And in a world like Naruto, where average childhood lasts only till ten, a person who knows the **importance of childhood** would not give it up easily. So, he frequently acts like a child. But, if you see his thought process it is more like an adult. For example: him checking out the village's atmosphere frequently, abhoring partiality, refusing to get into childish arguments, and always conscious of how his actions would be interpreted by others.

Last but not least, I would like to extend **my gratitude** **to a few of the reviewers who brought out some valid points**. One fine reviewer pointed out the absence of Asuma's brother/Konohamaru's father. I have rectified it in chapter 18 (I am currently ahead of what I have posted). Similarly, the stereotyping. I apologize for it. Harami chan came out as I wanted her to be portrayed. However, Neuki and Soyotta unintentionally became like Shikamaru copycats. I will make efforts to not repeat such mistake in the future.

I also appreciate one reviewer who noted Danzo and Hato's relationship like a surrogate son-father dynamic. The fic is actually traveling towards it, but don't expect Hato to be chubby chubby with Danzo. It will be a strained relationship at best.

And now, it is time for a Danzo rant. One fine reviewer has been hounding me about my portrayal of Danzo. I honestly think that if I were born into Narutoverse, I would be scared of both Danzo and Orochimaru. The things they do in the timeline are really that bad. So, it is only natural that a guy who is born with the knowledge of the future be wary of them and expect worse from them in every situation. Hato has been doing the same. And I find no fault in it. And I am not going to change it to. Hope you still like the story and follow it. If it is not your cup of tea, I totally understand.

And, I am actually amazed at people making judgments on Hato's capabilities when he hasn't even been in a fight.

So, without further ado... straight to the chapter.

 **(*****)**

You know that feeling that arises in your chest as you watch something happen unable to prevent, either because you are too weak or too scared. I was feeling it right now. The dinner in front of me was all but forgotten as I stared at the conversation that was happening right across the dinner table in helplessness.

"… I think my contribution to the current war can wait for a few months. At least, until the war escalates to that degree, sensei. If not, I fear we will be escalating the war far too soon. It would actually hinder us more than help us."

Orochimaru said smoothly wiping off his mouth with a tablecloth.

"I see. I would prefer to keep you home more too. While I won't deny that you will be a great asset to the frontlines, I would at least like to keep one of my students close to me in these troubling times. After all, I am not getting any younger," Hiruzen chuckled taking another bite off his food.

"Thank you sensei," Orochimaru replied with a glint of triumph in his eyes.

The glint was gone before I could even register what it was. Whether he was happy that Hiruzen wanted to keep him close or it was something else, it didn't matter to me. Orochimaru had got what he had wanted. And, in my humble opinion, that is a dangerous thing in any situation.

Hiruzen finished his food and excused himself to the restroom as me, Biwako and Orochimaru continued to finish our dinner.

"What are you staring at brat?" Orochimaru asked in annoyance as he noticed that I was not eating my food, "Don't growing kids need to intake more food to compensate for their growth?"

"Uh… nothing," I stuttered hurrying to return to my food.

"And you wonder why he doesn't like you, Oro kun?" Biwako laughed beside me good-naturedly.

"Forgive me Biwako san," Orochimaru gifted her with a winning smile.

"Uh, what I wouldn't give to have an amazing child like you. Asuma is getting more and more unruly by the day and Hato kun is beginning to get more and more lazy by the day. None of them have your intelligence or manners. It is no wonder you are Hiruzen's favorite," Biwako praised him.

The pout that appeared on my face had nothing to do with jealousy. I knew how slimy the snake bastard could act, so I wasn't surprised he had both Biwako and Hiruzen in his palm.

"This is just between us," Biwako winked conspiringly and Orochimaru leaned in to hear her whisper, "I think he is glad that he doesn't need to send you to the frontlines. He has already lost Tsunade and you know how Jiraya is with roaming and women. Of the three of you, he likes you the most. I don't think I need to tell you that, do I? It is his biggest hope that you would take the Hokage mantle after him. In fact, I think he is only waiting for the war to end to relinquish the post to you."

A pleased expression appeared on Orochimaru's face which twisted my stomach.

"I will surely make sensei proud Biwako san, you don't need to worry about it," Orochimaru said humbly.

Biwako actually scoffed at that.

"Please, he is already more proud of you than his own kids. You don't need to do anything more to earn his approval," Biwako replied laughing. "And I am too, Oro kun."

I think I saw a genuine expression on Orochimaru's face at that statement. Unlike the previous expressions, this one didn't disappear in a few moments. It stayed there even after Hiruzen returned from the restroom. I think he was gratified that both Hiruzen and Biwako were proud of him. Then again, they were like surrogate parents to him - at least at this moment.

Their conversation then turned towards war and how it was beginning to affect the overall economy of Konoha. And soon I tuned them out to concentrate more on my food. While I knew that Orochimaru was a two-timing bastard, who is eventually going to be caught by Hiruzen, I can't help but feel sick at the amount of genuine affection both Hiruzen and Biwako were showing him. I wondered how Hiruzen would have felt the moment he got to know the truth about Orochimaru. The man must have been crushed. No wonder he aged so quickly.

According to the timeline, there was at most ten to fifteen years from now until the events of canon began. At that start of canon, Hiruzen had looked like he was pushing seventies. Right now, he was still in his forties and looking great in my opinion. The betrayal by Orochimaru must have affected Hiruzen more than the series had shown us for him to look that old.

Knowing that Minato is going to be the next Hokage, I can't help but inwardly chuckle thinking it was something the bastard deserved for his phony façade in front of Hiruzen and Biwako. I was almost completely lost in my glee inward when Hiruzen's word brought me back to earth (or whatever they call it here).

"… if you are going to remain in the village, I think it would be good for you to get a better understanding of Konoha by being with me. That way, you can build your connections and strengthen your bonds so that you can take over from me smoothly in the future."

Yeah, Hiruzen did that. He always spoke to Orochimaru as if the Hokage seat was already reserved for him. I think it was one of the reasons for Orochimaru to hate Hiruzen that much after he was denied the seat. I would hate someone too, if they led me along making me believe and kindling my desires.

"I agree, sensei. In fact, I am actually working on that. Danzo sama wants my help in a new research he has been pursuing. I thought it would be good to connect with him and establish a working relationship with him. So I had agreed to help him. It is one of the reasons I want to remain in the village for. Forgive me if I have overstepped," Orochimaru said in a voice that was an amalgamation of both apology and eager interest.

"Oh, don't worry, there is nothing to forgive there. If Danzo willingly seeks you out, then that means he approves of your brilliance. I wouldn't be offended just because you are working with him." Hiruzen stated waving Orochimaru's apology off.

My stomach dropped upon hearing the conversation. Danzo and Orochimaru working together! That would mean nothing good. One of them was enough to give me nightmares. Two of them combined! Hell no!

But, didn't they do something like that in the series? What was it? What was it? It wouldn't be anything good for sure. But, what was it?

Then, it came to me. Danzo's right arm almost covered in a tree-like substance. Tree-like, that means ….. First Hokage's bloodline! Or at least his cells. My ancestor's cells! The bastards were experimenting on my ancestor's cells! How dare they! How dare they!

An unbridled rage like I had never known before rippled through me and I was sure my eyes had turned red already. But, I had enough presence of mind to mumble something and rush towards the loo. By the time I reached my destination, I was breathing heavily from suppressed rage.

I looked at my visage reflected on the mirror and blinked in surprise. My hair was standing a little straighter and my eyes…. they weren't truly red. They were just extremely bloodshot. I had never seen me like this before (though I have heard it from Biwako countless times that my eyes turn red when I get upset) and I have to admit that Harami was right. I did look a little intimidating right now, even if I was just a child.

I exhaled loudly trying to work the anger out of my system. The surprise of my appearance had allowed me to calm down and it was clear to me that the rage I had felt earlier was just an instinctual reaction to the news. As I slowly calmed down, I started thinking if I could do anything about it.

Sure, I could tell Hiruzen or Biwako. But the likelihood of either of them believing Orochimaru could commit a mistake was frankly nil. Unless until they saw Orochimaru experimenting with their own eyes, they wouldn't believe it.

Even if they were willing to give me the benefit of doubt (that would surely be a miracle), how would I prove it to them? I mean, it is not as if Danzo and Orochimaru are going to conduct their experiments in a public place right? Most probably it would be one of the secret hideouts ROOT has under their control. I had no way of knowing where they were going to do it.

So, all I would do is draw the attention of the snake bastard and Danzo on me. That was something I had been avoiding all along. The concept of reincarnation alone would make Orochimaru kidnap me regardless of the consequences. And if Danzo got his hands on the knowledge of future I possess….. I shudder to even think of it.

Once again I was reminded of the pickle I had found myself in. While I had all these future knowledge, I could do nothing about it. On the other hand, if I hinted about it to someone, then there is no guarantee I would remain safe from Danzo or Orochimaru or even worse Madara and his plant minion (wait, wasn't the plant using him. So was Madara the minion here. Huh, so confusing….).

I was truly, utterly helpless until I got stronger. Sure, I could have acted like an oracle, but with Danzo around that would only invite more trouble than worth. It was clear that I had no option but to swallow my anger and keep my head down until I got strong enough to hold my own against guys like Danzo and Orochimaru.

S-rank!

That should be my priority and goal. Everything else can come after that. Until then, lay low and keep surviving these murky waters filled with alligators. Yup! That's it!

Having made my decision, I began to think about it further. How do I accomplish it? I am sure it is not an overnight process. As the saying goes, anything worth would be hard to obtain. So, how do I obtain the fabled S-rank?

No, no, no.

That's the wrong way to go about it. Now, what do I have as of now? With my current state, I am not going to become an S-rank ninja in the next few years at least. But, there is a war happening outside and if I am not mistaken, we would be thrust into it sooner rather than later. Even though we wouldn't be sent to the frontlines, we would at least be given courier missions. They would have their own troubles to combat. And in my current state, all I would accomplish is a sorry death.

So, I have to improve myself if I don't want to die a nameless body in a field of corpses. I have to improve myself at least to a chunnin level if I need a chance to survive the war. With that being said, the series may have made it look that chunnin level was just a breeze away from the genin level. But, looking at the number of genins who are yet to make chunnin I think it would be much harder than that.

Before all that, let me catalog my own skills first. I am at a high-genin level in taijutsu. Both my speed and strength have tremendously increased in the last few years. I have decent skills in fuinjutsu and apart from the three academy jutsus, my ninjutsu is nonexistent. Seriously, how did I leave this big a glaring hole in my acumen? Considering that I am Senju, my chakra nature would be yang and that leaves genjutsu entirely out of my reach at least now.

On the other hand, I do have large chakra reserves and strangely enough, my chakra control is impeccable. While I haven't tried tree walking and water walking yet, I have been diligently practicing the leaf exercise and I have to say I am pretty good at it. Then, should I learn medical ninjutsu.

Yeah, right! Just because I have Tsunade for a sister it doesn't necessarily mean I have a good predisposition to medical ninjutsu. Chakra control is essential for it, but so is the knowledge of human anatomy. And that would mean that I had to spend a whole lot of effort into it. And honestly, I didn't have time for it.

Within a year, I would need to hit the battlefield and being a medical nin is like painting a big target over my back. Support teams are the first to be eliminated in an enemy attack. Sure, being a med nin gave me an excuse to hang back, but I wasn't keen on the idea of relying on someone to protect myself. And that is not a viable option if I am planning to reach S-rank as soon as possible. So, that rules out medical ninjutsu.

Well, that leaves either ninjutsu or taijutsu. Ninjutsu would be the best option to go, but I should also remember that I am keeping my head low. If I had any talent in that field, being a Senju I would attract more attention to myself than I wanted. Wouldn't Danzo love to get his hands on a ninjutsu prodigy? From what I remember, most of the kids he trained in specialized in undercover operations and he didn't have any heavy hitters to speak off.

On one hand, being a heavy hitter might rule me out from Danzo's eyes. But, who knows how his mind works? What if he changes his mind? It is a decision, I can't take easily. I have to balance both keeping my head low and staying above par.

Looks like this is going to be one hell of a task to accomplish. If I survive through this war without getting killed by enemy nin or falling prey to Danzo or Orochimaru, it will be a huge miracle for sure.

Then again, what was the possibility of me being reborn into the Narutoverse, huh?


	13. Chapter 13 - The Rigged Board

Ninjutsu it was. Even though I had reservations regarding learning ninjutsu due to Danzo, I had decided to risk it since getting on to the battlefield without any ninjutsu in your bag of tricks was like asking to be killed. And I definitely knew where I stood on that sentiment.

With that being said, a seven-year-old asking to learn ninjutsu was given much credence. I learned it the hard way. Even Biwako was really skeptical about teaching me ninjutsu. She told me to wait until I graduate and become a genin. According to her, teaching ninjutsu was the responsibility of a Jounin sensei much like teaching advanced taijutsu styles.

But I was not deterred. I shifted my focus to Hiruzen. Even he was reluctant to instruct me in ninjutsu – his reason being that I need to develop my chakra coils further for him to teach any jutsu that could be considered useful. And that hypocrite was the one who approved of Kakashi graduating at the age of six. And what is that drivel about useful jutsus! Jutsus he might consider useless may save my life for all I know. After all, he was the Hokage and I am just a mere seven-year-old.

Seriously, it was really beginning to irk me. I let the matter rest for a few days before deciding to bug someone. While I understood Hiruzen's reluctance and Biwako's excuse, I can't help but feel disappointed in them. Especially Hiruzen.

But, all was not lost though. After me pestering Hiruzen for weeks and weeks (my academy break was almost over. Tch, the loss of training time…) Hiruzen relented to teach me one D-rank jutsu. I grudgingly accepted it. One D-rank jutsu was better than nothing in my opinion. But still, the word D-rank brought a sour taste in my mouth.

And that leads us to this moment. I stood before Hiruzen trying to look calm and collected, but inwardly I was giddy with joy. I had been secretly practicing tree walking technique during the academy break since it didn't look like Hiruzen was going to teach me anything. Now that Hiruzen had relented, I can't help but feel smug inside.

Puppy-Dog-Eye jutsu had done its magic again. (Mind you, with how my face always looks serious it doesn't always help. I couldn't complain about my face though, after all, it made lying easier.)

Hiruzen eyed me critically once before pulling out a familiar piece of paper. He beckoned me closer and showed it to me. I studied the piece of chakra paper in his hand and a small smile crept across my face.

"Hatorama kun, this is called chakra paper. Do you know what it does?" he asked in his teaching voice.

I nodded indicating that I knew exactly what it did, "It identifies the elemental affinity one has in his chakra. If it turns to dust then I will have earth affinity, it turns soggy it will indicate water affinity. Likewise, it will crinkle for lightning, burn to ashes for fire and split into two for wind."

"I see that you have been learning about it," Hiruzen said in a mild tone of disapproval causing me to rub my head sheepishly.

I will admit. My backup plan was to learn ninjutsu on my own. There is no way in hell I am graduating with just the three academy jutsus in my bag of tricks.

"Then, inject your chakra. Let's see what your affinity is," Hiruzen said presenting the paper to me.

I carefully injected my chakra into the paper and the chakra paper promptly turned soggy. So, water it is then. I exhaled the sigh I have been holding in for a long time and looked at Hiruzen in anticipation. He eyed me for a while and let out a chuckle shaking his head in exasperation.

"Why did I even test? Of course, you would have sensei's affinity with water," Hiruzen said with a fond smile on his face.

I, on the other hand, was not happy with my nature affinity. While I had some inkling of a doubt it would be water, I had desperately hoped to have fire, lightning, or wind. Earth and water were my least favorite nature types in the series.

Come on, who wouldn't want the ability to breathe fire out of their mouth like a dragon or move as fast as lightning? Even wind nature was handy when being used in combination with taijutsu. But, water…. I didn't remember any cool techniques involved with that nature. The only one I admired was the azure dragon technique which needed forty fucking five hand seals.

I think my displeasure must have shown on my face as Hiruzen bonked me on the head. I scowled at him and he gently raised an admonishing finger that made me feel a little guilty.

"Tell me Hatorama kun, why are you unhappy? After all, you have received your grandfather's famed nature affinity," Hiruzen asked sounding genuinely curious.

"Water is not cool," I mumbled and when he prompted me to speak louder I repeated the statement with a frown on my face.

"Tch, the younger generation is so disillusioned. Listen well; water may not look as flashy as some other nature transformations, but it is also one of the most versatile nature affinities that one can acquire. It allows one to transform both its shape and state, unlike other nature releases. It can also be combined with both lightning and wind to augment the damage it causes. And as long as your chakra is strong enough, you would have no worries while battling fire release users. But as with every other nature release techniques, water release techniques have their own deterrent in the form of earth release. Unless until you run into a competent earth release user, you can still hold your own. But, you are not up to that level yet. Your grandfather was hailed as the strongest water release user. You have a long way to go if you wish to surpass him."

I took in the information dutifully. While most of the points were known to me already, some of them were new information too. Especially the part where he mentioned that I can change both the shape and state of water got me thinking.

As I thought about it more and more, a vague sense of hope formed within me. It is true that I would have preferred some flashy nature transformation, but now that I am stuck with water all I could do is to put in my best efforts to master it. I have seen countless animes where water was one of the main powers used by people and I can use those theories behind it to create my own jutsus. Also, it is not as if I am stuck with water for life right. If I was not wrong, then I needed to master another elemental nature apart from water to become a Jounin.

Hiruzen let me mull over for a few more minutes before he cleared his throat to bring my attention to him.

"Well, I am primarily a fire release user and my knowledge of water release is sporadic at best," he said in a light tone.

As if I would believe it. The man was referred to as The Professor in the shinobi world. If his knowledge is sporadic then I would eat a wooden kunai for lunch for a week.

"Still," he continued in the same tone, "I do know a few water release techniques."

By eyes visibly brightened at that admission.

"But, you are not yet ready to learn them yet. As per our agreement earlier, I will teach you one D-rank water jutsu. If you can master it within a week, then I will reward you with a C rank jutsu. If not, then you will need to wait for your Jounin sensei to teach you more water release techniques."

Ah! Carrot and the stick huh! By hanging a C-rank jutsu in my face he was motivating me to master the technique within a week. And if I don't I will have to wait till graduation to learn a new technique. Clever.

"I will try to master the jutsu within a week Hiruzen san," I replied brightly causing him to smile.

No! I didn't overcommit. Regardless of what technique Hiruzen taught me, I am going to take my time to master it. As for C-rank jutsus I can always acquire them from the library, now that I know my nature affinity. If my training with fuinjutsu had taught me anything it is the fact that I should not rush while learning the basics. In fact, my fuinjutsu training with Kushina has given some much needed insight into this world of chakra.

Basics are very important. Take this water release technique for example. A basic jutsu will give me more insight into manipulating water nature chakra in its base form. Because D rank jutsus are just that. So, once I master manipulating water chakra in its base form, I could always branch out on my own. I just hoped Hiruzen would teach me something that contains manipulation of water natured chakra. If not, then my plan is doomed.

"The jutsu I will be teaching you is a famous one. In fact, I think it will be perfect for you. It can be either used to attack or evade depending on the situation. The name of the jutsu is the Hidden Mist Jutsu. It originates from Kirigakure and is one of their signature jutsus. The seals for the jutsu are either the seal of confrontation or Ox followed by Ram seal."

"The first method can be used to manipulate the water outside of your body into the mist using your water chakra. The second method is used to shape your chakra into mist and blow it out through your mouth. Like this,"

Hiruzen slowly performed an Ox seal and followed it with a Ram seal and blew out a cloud of mist that promptly engulfed both of us. Within moments my visibility was lessened and I could barely see my surroundings. I had no clue as to where Hiruzen was - at least visually, my chakra sense told me he was moving around me to come from behind. I knew for a fact that he didn't bother to conceal his chakra thinking I would not notice him.

It once again reaffirmed my belief of keeping my sensing capabilities a secret. And it also made me realize that this technique was perfect for me. I can hide in the mist and move about people using my sensing abilities.

"You can use this technique to attack your enemy using a surprise attack or even use this as a cover to retreat from a battle," he voiced from behind and I faked my reaction to show surprise on my face in regards to his new location. "It is highly useful if you want to escape from a dire situation."

I nodded empathetically. He was right. While this jutsu wasn't flashy or awe-inspiring, it perfectly suited to be a good supplement for my sensing abilities. If anything, Zabuza has shown me how scary one person can be if he had the right tools to operate in this mist. I immediately made the decision to truly master this technique and not just half-ass it.

"I will let you practice it and once you have mastered the technique, let me know," Hiruzen stated calmly with a twinkle in his eyes before taking his leave.

I watched him depart with a new found determination. After all, this was my first step in becoming an S-rank shinobi and I was not going to waste it.

Now, how did those seals go…

 **(*****)**

Hiruzen had sabotaged me purposefully. I was sure of that. That man didn't do things like this unintentionally. Did I pester him too much? Was he so annoyed with me to do something like this? I didn't know for sure. Or is he waiting to see how long it takes for me to realize the problem and come crawling back to him?

Like hell, I am going to do that.

Whatever, I am going to figure this out on my own. And I can't wait to see Hiruzen's face when he realizes I had succeeded despite him rigging the board.

I scowled at everything in my vicinity as I tried to comprehend the concept. You see, Hiruzen did teach me the jutsu. He showed the hand seals and even gave an explanation about what it does and its advantages. But what the old geezer had conveniently failed to do was to tell me how to do it.

Seriously, how can he forget that! I am damn sure he did it purposefully.

While I had the knowledge of the hand seals required for the jutsu and had even experienced the jutsu in real, what I didn't have was the knowledge on how to convert my chakra into water natured chakra. And that troublesome old geezer had conveniently failed to tell me how to do it.

A day had already passed since Hiruzen had taught me the Hidden Mist jutsu and I was nowhere near to even scratching its surface. I only had six days left to master the jutsu and if my hunch is correct, Hiruzen had been banking on this to escape from teaching me the C-rank jutsu. Say if I approached him asking how to convert my chakra into water natured chakra (I am pretty sure I was not supposed to know this little bit of detail), then it would be easy for Hiruzen to refuse to teach me the C- rank jutsu even if I mastered it in a week saying I had sought his help.

It was a cleverly laid out plan and I had walked into it blindly. As Kakashi from the series would say, I had failed to see underneath the underneath. I had also noted something about my character in this life. The Senju blood in me was too prideful for my own good.

Ninjutsu was supposed to be my clan's forte and it rankled me to even ask for help regarding it. Damn it, I was a Senju and my clan's pride was on the line here. I am not going to be the one Senju who can't figure out things on his own. My grandfather had created countless ninjutsus on his own and all I had to do was to figure out how to change normal chakra into water natured chakra. And I would be a piss poor successor if can't even do that.

Dream on old geezer, I am not going to come to you for help. I am going to figure this shit out by myself.

Coming back to the matter on hand, or even better, on my chakra, how do I accomplish it? Well, let's see, you made lightning chakra by increasing the vibrations of the chakra thrumming through your body. On the other hand, you made wind chakra by focusing it into a sharp blade. Then, in that vein, how do I transform my chakra into water nature?

I thought about it long and hard, but even when the second day was coming to an end I was nowhere near to figuring things out. It frustrated me a lot. It was supposed to be a simple D-rank jutsu and I am already facing problems with it. Is ninjutsu even the right path for me? What if I wasn't suited for ninjutsu? What if I can't become an S-rank ninja?

No, no, no. Scarp that thought. That will only make me wallow in self-pity. I need to get my shit together and figure this shit out.

In a bout of frustration, I redid the hand seals for the jutsu in what amounted to be the hundredth time by now. I have done it so many times by now that I didn't even need to concentrate much to do it. As I did the seals, something wiggled (I don't have a better description for it) inside my body. It was something I hadn't noticed prior to this.

As I performed the Ram seal, the chakra that molded in me seemed to have a sense of finality. It was as if it was it was signifying the end or something. I wouldn't have even noticed it if not for my developed chakra sensing abilities. And a vague memory of Kushina telling me that Ram seal is often used in sealing techniques during one fuinjutsu lesson surfaced.

Startled by the sudden development and the subsequent memory, I sat down and started feeling out the chakra in my body as I performed each of the twelve basic hand seals. It was slow going and if not for my earlier familiarity with meditation when unlocking my chakra, I would have lost concentration far sooner.

As I performed and formed an idea of what each seal did, I began to notice a few things. For example, when I performed the Snake seal I had a sense of slipperiness go through my chakra. The Tiger, on the other hand, gave me a sense of agitation. The Dragon seal gave me a sense of power and the Bird seal gave me a sense of sharpness. The Ox seal was a direct opposite to Ram seal. It gave me the sense of something breaking past the dam. The Rat seal gave me a murky feeling which was akin to being in shadows. As for the Hare, Boar, Horse and Monkey seals, I couldn't exactly identify the feeling the molded chakra gave me.

But when I performed the Dog seal, I felt a feeling of softness pass through me. I repeated it multiple times just to experience that feeling. It was so soothing that I even forgot what I was doing for a minute. My hyperactive chakra sense mellowed out and I felt as if I was being cleansed of all the tension. It reminded me of…. those raindrops.

My eyes flew open at that information. This was something I could work with.

Soon, I tried to attain that soothing feeling without performing the hand seal. It was hard going, but regardless it worked … at least partially.

After practicing molding chakra into a soothing manner for a long time, I took a gamble and breathed out as I used the soothing chakra feel. The resulting breath was chillier than my normal breath. The sense of accomplishment that followed was something indescribable.

With a new goal in mind, I wrapped up the training for the day and went to relax.

 **(*****)**

The remaining five days passed by in a blur. In the end, Hiruzen won. The first bitter feeling of defeat I felt was when looking at Hiruzen's smug smile. As he stood there letting out an air of fake-disappointment, I merely scowled at him and returned to my meditation.

Forget mastering the jutsu, I couldn't even perform the jutsu.

But apart from the brief feeling of defeat I felt when looking at Hiruzen's smug face, I wasn't deterred by the complexity of the problem. In fact, it only encouraged me. I vowed to figure out how to transform normal chakra into water nature chakra on my own and devoted my time to it whole-heartedly.

So what if I couldn't master a measly D-rank jutsu within a week? Did it matter that I wasn't a prodigy like Orochimaru? Did it matter that Hiruzen had rigged the board?

No, none of it mattered.

After all, I was a Senju and we did things in our own way. If anything, I had a whole family of hard-headed idiots to derive inspiration from. And as far as Hiruzen was concerned, we are not done yet.

Oh no, old man, you and me, we are not fucking done.

Above all, I will be damned if this measly D-rank jutsu was going to keep me from becoming an S-class ninja.

 **(*****)**

 **AN:** The chakra theory behind the various seals is merely my own extrapolation. However, I did read a few articles on them like how and where they were used and extrapolated the reason behind this. The Dog seal is the one that is commonly associated with the water techniques. Rat is mostly used by Nara to perform their shadow manipulation. I gave a description for the other seals based on their uses.

And also, from this chapter, the action begins to pick up. But, don't expect Hatorama to suddenly become a ninjutsu prodigy :)


	14. Chapter 14 - The Trials of Waterwalking

My ninjutsu training had come to a standstill in the following weeks. Even Biwako was surprised that I hadn't bugged regarding jutsus. While she hadn't yet shown it outright, I could clearly see the suspicion on her face whenever I said I was going out to train.

And strangely enough, she didn't ask me what I was training in either. Either my stubborn desire to figure things out on my own had convinced her that it was one of those things that I was pigheaded about or she thought that I had lost my interest in jutsus after failing to perform a D-rank jutsu. Either way, I didn't care about that much.

My mind was fully focused on figuring out the method to transform normal chakra into water natured chakra. And I had indeed picked a perfect training spot for it if I have to say myself. The Naka River was an ideal place for me to train.

It was isolated, had an abundance of water and rarely saw anyone near it. I had identified this small hidey-hole of my own while going on one of my morning laps. As luck would have it, the place had a natural source of water flowing just near it. It was just perfectly situated within the village borders while also receiving only a few visitors – the reason being it very close to the Uchiha's famous Naka shrine. Hell, even the Uchihas avoided the place in respect.

Immediately, I knew that this would be the perfect spot for me to figure things out. No one would expect a Senju to hang around the Uchiha section of Konoha. The fact that it was a river, which suited my affinity tremendously, was just the icing on the cake.

I exhaled heavily breaking out of the water as I struggled to swim against the current. I slowly swam to the share shivering with the wet cloths and threw myself on the bank with a huge sigh.

Repeatedly drowning in water was not a cool thing to experience. If this continued, I might even begin to hate water completely. And wouldn't it be ironic! A water natured shinobi hating water. I chuckled at the thought and reviewed my training to grasp what I had done wrong.

As you might have guessed, I am training in the art of water walking. Sure, it was a chakra control exercise and not ninjutsu, which might have defeated the entire purpose if not for the fact that it allowed me to be in touch with my element.

For the past few weeks, my progress had come to a standstill as I banged my head against the chakra nature problem. I had only been practicing my taijutsu forms and keeping up my shape with my morning runs. And ever since I went back to attending the academy, I couldn't spend as much time as I would have liked on the chakra nature problem either.

It began to frustrate me a lot since I felt that this was the time I need to progress further and further and not stay standstill in a place. And the news trickling into the village regarding the ongoing war didn't help me either. So, I had taken up the habit of strolling through Konoha to take my mind off things (it worked - partially).

As I was roaming around the village one day – mulling things over in my head and trying to figure out how to change my chakra nature, suddenly a light bulb went on in my head. In regards to chakra control, I had already mastered the art of tree walking. And the next logical step in that direction was water walking. That meant spending a lot of time near a flowing water body.

And guess what, it conveniently aligned with my intentions of knowing my own chakra nature a little better. To any onlookers (cough-Hiruzen-cough), it would look as if I had gotten tired over the chakra nature and had turned my attention elsewhere. But, on the other hand, I could try to work on two things at once.

Overjoyed by own cleverness, I soon began to search for a perfect spot to implement my plan. And thus, I came across this isolated patch of land where the river flowed near to the Naka Shrine on one of my morning runs.

And I wasn't stupid about it either. Picking a spot in the Uchiha controlled area would spell disaster. I was not that unaware of how things stood. Regardless of whatever is happening, I am a Senju and the chances of Uchihas being gracious enough to accommodate me were slim to none. While there were several such spots along the Naka River, I chose this one because it wasn't officially a land belonging to any of the clans. The Naka Shrine was located at the edge of Uchiha lands and a little distance away from it my hidey-hole existed.

Enough self-patting about my cleverness, now it is time to concentrate on my training. Initially, I had too much difficulty in controlling the output of my chakra to my soles. While I knew the basic principle behind it and had even seen how it is done, I soon understood that watching something and performing something is altogether different.

For starters, the difference between tree walking and water walking lay in the fact that the two surfaces were entirely different. The tree boasted a steady surface with a constant amount of thickness to it. On the other hand, the surface of the water was nowhere steady and the thickness was almost non-existent.

Don't get me wrong, there was some surface tension from the water. But, it was so minute that it didn't even matter. The best analogy I could give regarding the comparison is – tree walking is like sticking to a surface and water walking is like skirting on thin ice. In fact, a better example would be to say mixing oil and water. They both touch and yet don't mingle.

One has to figure out how to touch the water without breaking the surface tension of the water. It was a chore by itself. And that is only for starters.

Moving on, the next problem arises from the fact that surface you are standing on is constantly shifting and you need to put the right amount of chakra in your soles to keep your balance. You have constantly vary the chakra you sent to your soles in accordance with the shifting beneath your feet.

I think you begin to get the grasp of the complexity involved in this seemingly simple activity. Hell, in the series they made it look like it was only slightly difficult.

Well, let's say that you have somehow figured as this things and executed it perfectly, then I am afraid my dearies that I have some bad news.

All you have done is to complete the first part. Congratulations! Now you can stand on water.

But!

But, it doesn't mean you can walk across it. Oh, silly goose! Who gave you the idea that once you can stand, you can walk?

No, no, nope.

Now, the second part of the exercise is to actually walk on the water. With the constantly shifting surface and the varying surface tension beneath your feet, you have to carefully manipulate the output of the chakra you send to your soles to match it exactly so that you don't overcompensate and sent back flying as you try to walk.

With me so far. Good. Now, comes the fun part. Actually fighting on the surface of the water. You thought this exercise had only two parts, huh? Whatever gave you that idea?

Just imagine how many times you lose balance while fighting on the land or land harder than intended. If any of those things occur, oops you lose your footing. And with it, you go underwater – where fishes and other aquatic life forms, who had been irritated out of their minds as they watched you dance overhead, will swarm you.

Sweet isn't it?

After constant practice and thanks to my innate chakra control, I am at the last stage now. While I could now stand and walk on top of the water (yay! I am freaking Jesus!), I wasn't satisfied with it. It may be enough for other shinobis but not for me. Because being a water natured shinobi most of my justsus will contain water and it would be a real shame if I became handicapped because of my own jutsu.

Don't you agree?

As I reviewed my recent debacle I noted that I tended to balance a little forward while performing the overhead throw my kata usually contained. It was an innocent enough thing that wouldn't trouble me if I was on the land. At the most, my feet would skid a little. But, here on the water, it made me lose my footing entirely. If anything good came of these debacles, it was that they were teaching all the minute mistakes I have been ignoring while on the land.

Sure, it was a learning experience and I was perfecting my taijutsu and chakra control at the same time. But, what wouldn't I give to not get wet and get bitten by aquatic lifeforms.

I once again went back on the water and started performing my katas slowly with pinpoint precision as I carefully kept my mind focused on the chakra output to my soles. I performed the katas in silence and the only company I had was the birds chirping away in a nearby tree.

I practiced my forms on the water until the sun started setting and eventually wrapped up my training to head back to the village.

Unlike other days, today a figure stood, waiting for me, on the bank. I blinked as I had failed to register the person prior to this. Inwardly, I chastised myself for letting someone get this close to me without sensing them. One more thing to add to the training, I groaned.

Fugaku Uchiha was every bit the man portrayed in the series. He was tall, had telltale Uchiha hair and black eyes and above all he had a huge stick up his ass. I had run into him a few times as the major clans of Konoha held biannual meetings.

Even though the Senju only had one member in the village as of now, they weren't barred from entering the hall. As the lone Senju in Konoha, I had been called in for meetings occasionally when they had to discuss some important matters. I mostly boycotted it stating my age as a reason.

But, sometimes Hiruzen would drag me in with him for some important meetings. And then I would stare at the faces of various clan members arguing about stuff I had no clue about. Jolly good isn't it?

Anyways back to the matter at hand. Fugaku had recently taken over as the Head of the Uchiha clan. Ever since my first meeting with him, I have only met him twice before to this. And I have to say, the man was an emotionless freak. He rarely smiled, laughed, showed amusement or irritation or some other damn thing – you know those things called emotions that people possess. In fact, if not for the animosity between Uchihas and Danzo, I think they both would get along well.

"Good evening Uchiha san," I greeted him as I made my way back to the bank.

"Hn," he nodded his head in greeting. "I see you have progressed your chakra control to the standard of a low chunnin. It is rare to see such incredible chakra control in one so young."

Hardly any intonation there in his voice for me to grasp what he was feeling. Angry? Alarmed? Disbelief? Scorn? Honestly, I couldn't guess.

"Thank you Uchiha san. I do try," I replied with a gentle smile hoping he is not here to stir up some trouble.

What? We are Senju and Uchiha heirs. Do you know how many times the man had aimed a thinly veiled jibe at me during the few clan meetings I had attended?

"However, I do note that your academy scores were well….. average. And it seems to be not the case here," he said mildly.

I remained silent. If he thinks I am gonna give my reasons to him willy ninny he has another thing coming. All he was doing was making a statement. Even social etiquette didn't demand me to answer anything in the situation.

We stood there for a few more minutes eyeing each other. I could feel my shoulder blades tense minutely as I wondered what he wanted from me.

"What do you want Uchiha san?" I asked, at last, breaking the stalemate.

The man may have too much time on his plate. However, I am afraid that I am already behind schedule to be at home. Biwako is not going to be happy.

"It's not that I need anything from you Senju," there was light sneer in his phrasing of the last word. Even for that to happen, I must irritate him more than I thought. Or at least my last name.

"I am here in regards to an official complaint launched by the Uchiha clan to the Military Police," he stated causing me to raise my eyebrows.

Well, well, this is getting interesting.

"The Uchiha clan has expressed its unease to us that someone is training very close to their ancestral shrine. They are worried that a training accident may damage the shrine. Do you have official permits to train here?"

No, I didn't. And yes, he knew it.

"I am afraid I don't have any such permission. Forgive me, for I have thought this land to belong to Konoha and not to any clans. I sincerely apologize if I had hurt your clan's sentiments." I said sincerely.

"I am afraid I have to ask you to obtain Hokage's permission to train here or you might have to stop," Fugaku said with a small gleam in his eyes.

"I understand," I said nodding my head. "Can I at least meditate here? I rather like the place. It's peaceful and isolated from the bustle of the village."

Fugaku eyed me critically for a few moments. I held my eye contact with him. I wasn't afraid of him. Not now and especially not here. The man may be a stuck up ass but he knew very well that the blame would fall on the entire Uchiha clan if any harm came to me here and now. And whatever his faults may be, the man loved his clan.

"As long as no technique is being practiced. Even Taijutsu," he said before turning around and disappearing in a shower of leaves.

Ah! The backhanded insult. He could have merely Shunshined without turning around. By turning around and showing his back to me, Fugaku has stated clearly how he viewed me.

I smiled at that and shook my head. Now what? I looked around the place and found that I rather liked spending time here. As I said to Fugaku, it was peaceful, calm and isolated from the village. This was my little hidey-hole. A place where I can be myself without any of the social expectations placed on me.

And now, the Uchihas want to drive me away from here. I sighed. This is going to cut into my training more than I could imagine and I had just a few weeks to graduate from the academy.

 **(*****)**

"What are you doing Senju baka?" Harami said in a lazy drawl that I had begun to associate as her bored voice.

"Reading," I replied nonchalantly without bothering to take my eyes off the scroll in front of me.

"Ooh, nature characteristics. I didn't know you started chakra nature training so soon," Harami said eyeing the scroll from behind my back.

"Ssshh. Keep it down," I shushed her.

She pouted before gifting me a swat on the head for my trouble.

"Oi…." I objected only because it was expected of me.

By now, I know Harami well enough to say that she was simply bored and picking on me. And I have also gotten used to being physical in her expression by now. Seriously, how could I forget her clawing and scratching?

"Why aren't you taking a nap?" I grumbled packing up the scroll into my bag.

"I just woke up," she replied chirpily.

Figures….

"And Neuki and Soyoto?" I asked.

"Still sleeping," she replied waving her hands as if it didn't matter.

Perfect. Now I was the only one stuck with her.

"How's your training coming along?" I asked as she plopped into the seat next to me.

"Tch, troublesome," she wrinkled her nose.

I let out a bark of laughter. "Everything is troublesome for you," I said good-naturedly.

"I don't know what it is with people and early morning," she grumbled under breath.

"They say it's the best time to train yourself," I replied earning a glare from her.

"No, it is the best time to squeeze in a little more sleep," she replied seriously causing me to chuckle.

"Anyway, do you know what you are going to do once you graduate?" she asked me. "Any specialization?"

"I am a Senju," I replied shortly as if it explained everything.

"Tch, troublesome. So, you would be going to the frontlines, in the …"

War. She didn't say it and she didn't need to either. Senjus were frontline fighters and as a last Senju I was expected to fight on the frontline in the war. Very few Senju ever branched out to specialize in other fields. My cousin was an exception, she was both a frontline fighter and a field medic. If I wasn't still in the academy they would have already shipped me off to Kusa by now. Luckily, I had another year to actually be sent to the frontlines. And that is when the fighting will be the hardest. I grimaced at that thought.

"So, what about you? Have you given any thoughts on what you are going to do next?" I asked trying to revive the conversation.

"Shikaku sama came by this morning. He offered me an apprenticeship in intelligence division. Code division to be precise," she said fiddling with her shirt.

"And," I asked genuinely interested in her answer, "what did you say?"

"I haven't decided yet. I like codes, don't get me wrong. But, its just that we are the only two…." She hesitated and I understood what she was trying to tell.

In our group of four, Neuki had already accepted an apprenticeship in research. Soyoto had expressed that he wanted to become an academy teacher or an administrator as other things would be too troublesome for him to handle. That left the two of us for team placements. And she wanted to know if it was fine with me if she left me alone for team placements.

"Don't worry, we all need to do what we are good at. Seriously, codes huh? I can't imagine me staring at wriggly letters and numbers for all day," I shuddered at the thought.

"Oh shut up! What do you know? The permutations and combinations and all the other stuff one needs to know to crack or create a code. It's just…. so interesting,"

I watched her express herself and when that blissful emotion came upon her face, I shuddered outright. It was creepy alright; and my mind was jumping places with that expression.

"Ew…." I pushed her away. "Take your gross fantasies somewhere."

"Oi Baka!" she pouted and for a moment I was scared that she was going to launch herself at me. Thankfully, she composed herself and gave me a snort in return that almost sounded like troublesome.

"Seriously, you should take that apprenticeship. I mean it. If you like codes that much, you don't need to worry about me. I will be fine," I said to her.

"Who is worrying about you?" she challenged.

"Ah! no one no one, my mistake," I surrendered raising my hands.

"Hmmmph," she snorted and got up from the seat.

Just when she was leaving, "Be careful out there baka. I won't be there to save your scrawny ass if you mess up," Harami said and marched off without bothering to wait for my reply.

I gritted my teeth at her actions and sent a scowl at her back. Who does she think she is? I could take care of me, alright. If anyone needed protection it was her. Her Taijutsu was terrible and don't even get me started with her other skills. She should be grateful that Shikaku offered her an apprenticeship. If not, this war would eat someone like her alive.

And she had the gall to suggest that I needed her to get me out of trouble. Please…..

Still, I couldn't exactly reject the pleasant feeling that rose up in my heart hearing her concern for me. At least, I had one friend who would mourn for me if I died and not the last Senju.


	15. Chapter 15 - Hypocrites

Shinobi can be real hypocrites when they want to. I have seen countless instances of this behavior in my short life here in Narutoverse. Whether it be Hiruzen, Biwako, Danzo or any of the others that I usually interacted with, they are always fine with things as long as it is to their liking. If it inconveniences them, they would gladly forget that they would do the same thing.

But, it never bothered me until that particular moment. Maybe it was because I was also a hypocrite like them. Maybe it was something else. I honestly didn't know. Hell, I wouldn't have even noticed it as a big flaw if I hadn't run into that particular cannon character on that particular day.

It was an important day for me in this second life. More important than the day I was born into this world or any other day. It was the anniversary, third to be precise, of the day that I realized I had been taking this second life for granted. It was the third anniversary of Sakumo Hatake's death.

Until the incident with Sakumo happened, my goal of becoming an S- rank ninja was never formed. Sure, like everyone I dreamed of being a powerful shinobi. But until Sakumo died it didn't become concrete in my mind.

I owed it to the man. He was the one who truly opened my eyes in this second life. Even though we haven't interacted at all, the man had left a lasting mark on my heart. A man who put the lives of fellow comrades over something as measly as reputation. In this village, he was a man with a clear conscience and had proper sight on what's more important. In my opinion, this world needs more men like him.

I occasionally drop by Sakumo's grave only to find it neglected and downtrodden. But not always. Sometimes there would be a flower on his grave indicating gratitude for his deeds. Sometimes it would be clean. And his anniversary was one of the times I had found the grave to be clean like any other grave could be.

As usual, I strolled up to the grave and knelt before the headstone. The headstone didn't portray many words, but the words that have been engraved on them were enough for me.

 ** _Hatake Sakumo - The White Fang of Konoha._**

I viewed it for a few moments and bowed my head in respect. I stayed there like that for a few minutes hoping the man would understand in the afterlife how he had affected me and wondering whether he would approve of my actions.

I was by no means a hero like him. I was selfish and usually shied away from making any major decisions. I liked my life trouble free, yet I yearned to become strong. I didn't know whether my desire for power was as altruistic as I imagined it to be or it is just that – a craving for power. I didn't know whether someone like Sakumo would approve of a man like me.

But, I hoped there was something in me that he would approve.

I opened my eyes and placed the flower I had bought with me beside the three flowers that were already placed on the grave. I sat there silently for a few minutes wondering who these three flowers belonged to. Probably from the families of three men whose life he saved, my mind supplied.

While it has been already three years since his death, Shinobi still preferred to disassociate themselves from the man. His sacrifice and ideas were scorned. Even when people respected him it was for his power and power alone. So, I didn't think any of the Shinobi will be caught paying respects to the man.

I, on the other hand, respected him for his clear sight and the extent he was willing to go to protect his son. It was something similar to what Tsunade had done for me. While he performed Seppuku, Tsunade distanced herself. Nevertheless, both of their intentions were the same. To protect their loved ones. And I respected that immensely.

 _"Stay away from her, you bastard,"_

A voice from the past spat at me in my mind. My hands involuntarily tightened. I didn't have many memories of my past life. As this life went on, only a few of those were still present. The knowledge of this world and some important and impactful things I had faced in my past life. And those words were one of the most vivid memories of my past life left in my mind. Most of it was repressed at the back of my mind. But, not these words. And I had been a selfish asshole in my past life. I was not a good human being then.

Even now, I didn't know if I could be as selfless as Sakumo or Tsunade and make such sacrifices. I didn't know whether I had it in me to put someone's life and happiness over mine. I just hoped that by visiting his grave some of his greatness would rub off on me. And…. his grave reminded me of Tsunade's sacrifice.

It is a funny thing, these memories. Even though they hurt you, you still yearned to have them. Regardless of the pain they inflict on you, you still went towards them. It was like a poison that slowly devours you away. Still... it was my poison and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Just hearing the voice alone ripped me apart and soothed me at the same time.

As I stood there contemplating on why I visit his grave, I felt two chakra signatures approaching the memorial site. Probably, some people who were coming to pay their respects to a fallen shinobi or their friends. I didn't mind it much and continued with my contemplation.

Sure, this was going to shine some bad light on me. But, who I pay my respects to is none of their business. And I wasn't worried much about social backlash. Being a Senju gave you a kind of immunity from social ridicule.

Small mercies….

Still, I have been careful in my visit to Sakumo's grave. Before approaching, I usually double checked for any of Danzo's stalkers following me. It wouldn't do to give him an impression that I was taken with Sakumo's ideals. The man was one of the most vocal decriers of Sakumo's action. The signatures that were approaching were not muted like Danzo's stalkers. So, it didn't bother me much. And it looks like they have stopped at the edge of the memorial site to pay their respects to whichever grave they came to visit.

I stood there for a long time wondering about myself and my actions. It bothered me a little that I wasn't doing anything to change the shitty future that was going to happen. But, I was realistic. Even if I wanted to change something I couldn't, simply because I wasn't strong enough to affect the flow of things.

Whether it be the death of Minato and Kushina Nee or the precursor to that – the tragedy of Team 7, or the Uchiha massacre, I didn't possess enough strength to affect things. Yet.

Some might say that gently nudging people by forming bonds with them and directing them into the correct path is all I needed to do. But, I wasn't keen on that either. Seriously, from how they portray it, you would think people would listen to their every word.

Damn it, it doesn't happen like that in reality.

Hiruzen and Biwako were not even willing to break tradition by teaching me some jutsus and I had lived with them for seven long years. And what guarantee is there that someone would actually do something just because I suggested. All it would leave is me forming unwanted bonds with people who are either going to die or go bonkers. And I wasn't keen on experiencing that emotional pain. I had gone through enough death for one lifetime and this lifetime wasn't going to be death-free either. It would be stupid to do so.

Likewise, confiding my knowledge of the future to someone was also entirely out of the question. What with Danzo and Orochimaru still revolving around the village and the Third Shinobi War ongoing, anyone who professes that they have the knowledge of future would be sent to TI for every advantage in war. Hiruzen would gladly throw me to the wolves if it meant getting a distinctive advantage in war.

What do you expect? The man was a military dictator in all senses and you don't become a Hokage without making some hard decisions. Do you think Hiruzen wouldn't kill a genin if the need arose? Then, think again. If it means sacrificing me to win the war, Hiruzen would do it however reluctantly. Oh, there would be praises for me, after they have ravaged through my mind and made me a walking vegetable, as the hero who helped the war end. But, what use were those praises to me if I am dead or worse? I am not a hero to selflessly sacrifice myself. I think we have already established that.

So, it was back to the starting point. I need to get stronger so that I could realistically affect the flow of things. That was the only way I could accomplish it. No, willy ninny ways that involved sappy conversations and life-altering pieces of advice. That's a fool's quest. And I like my head on my shoulders as it is. Thank you very much!

I let out a self-deprecating laugh and shook my head to clear my thoughts. Enough doubting my route for the time being. There is a war happening outside and I needed to get strong quickly or at least get strong enough to survive the war so that I could affect things in the future.

I exhaled a huge sigh making up my mind and prepared to leave. As I turned around, I saw a stunned chibi-Kakashi and Minato standing in the distance and watching me. While Minato's face had surprise written all over it, Kakashi's face was more interesting to watch.

His face had numerous expressions and the mask he was wearing was failing to mask the strong influx of emotions he was feeling at the moment. I could see a blend of anger, disgust, surprise and even disappointment in his face.

Disappointment….. interesting.

I bowed to them and started walking towards them where I knew the proper exit to the memorial was located. Minato recovered from his surprise and stood idly watching Kakashi. Kakashi was like a high strung bow and it looked like one wrong move would set him off. As I passed them by, Kakashi spoke.

"Why…" his tone was strained as he was trying to remain calm despite the mix of emotions he felt.

I stopped a few feet after passing them. My back was still turned to them. I didn't know what prompted me to stop, but there was a desperateness to Kakashi's tone that made me pause.

"Why, what Kakashi san?" I asked turning to face them.

His face was a mixture of disgust and anger. The disappointment and surprise were gone by now. He scoffed as if he didn't expect me to be this dumb.

"Why do you visit that man's grave? He is a traitor," Kakashi demanded.

"Who? Sakumo san? Why would you say that?" I asked feigning confusion.

I saw Minato stiffen from the corner of my eyes. Kakashi was oblivious to it, however.

"Pfft," he snorted, "That man betrayed the code of shinobi. He betrayed the trust Hokage sama had in him. He betrayed the village and his comrades."

"Is that so?" I raised my eyebrows now genuinely irritated with the way Kakashi was acting.

Sure, he was only a little kid who had felt the ire of the entire village as his father was orchestrated for his actions. But, the way he was talking to me made it look like he hated his father.

"You are some Senju….," he scoffed, "everyone knows that man is a traitor."

Fine. I see where this is going. Kakashi needed me to justify his hatred for his father. From the looks of it, Minato has begun to chip his façade a little by little and was bringing him back to the land of the living. Or was it Obito? Didn't he graduate last term with Asuma and others? If I was not mistaken, Obito was beginning to annoy Kakashi more than he let on to others.

If Obito was indeed bothering Kakashi and if he has heard about Sakumo, then he would no doubt support the man at this stage. And it looks like that was the case here. And me justifying his anger would be all Kakashi needs to withhold Obito's attempts to hero worship Sakumo.

I mulled about what I should do in this situation for a few moments. It would be very simple to justify his claims and walk away from here without any hassle. I could even claim to be enamored by the fame of The White Fang of Konoha and both Minato and Kakashi would believe it. After all, I was only seven. Seven-year boys can be a bit immature at times.

But, did I wanted to do that? This was not Danzo or some other member of the village in front of me. This was Kakashi. The boy to whose welfare Sakumo sacrificed his life. And seeing Kakashi hate the man who sacrificed his life for him, didn't sit well with me. Something inside me wanted to set Kakashi straight, a leftover regret from an earlier life.

"Tell me Kakashi san, why did you become a shinobi?" I asked changing the topic.

My change of topic surprised Kakashi. But, he didn't want to be considered stupid in front of a kid and he puffed up his entire being before he replied.

"A shinobi's job is to protect the village and lay his life on the line for the village. That's why I became a shinobi," Kakashi bland text-book answer did no justice to the way his shoulders were puffed up like a self-important person.

I bet he was thinking that he was teaching a yet-to-be genin how to act like a proper shinobi.

"What is a village?" I asked without missing a beat having expected Kakashi's answer.

"What?" Kakashi looked at me like I was an idiot.

On the other hand, Minato was looking at me curiously. I think he was beginning to get interested in this conversation now. Good. I would need his help.

"I mean, what is a village? What makes it up? Is it the name? Is it the buildings? Is it the people? Or is it something else?" I asked Kakashi in a calm manner.

Kakashi looked flabbergasted by my question. It was clear from his expression that he didn't expect me to ask something like that. As he mulled over my words, Minato came to his rescue as expected.

"It is the people living in the village that makes it a village. Buildings can be rebuilt. The name can be reasserted. And all the other things that are in the village can be recreated, except for the people. That is why they are what a village is made up of," Minato answered me with a serious expression on his face.

It was as if the blond was parting on some wisdom to a young seven-year-old. I didn't mind because to his eyes i was just that. I nodded my head to indicate that I heard him and looked at Kakashi in expectation.

"What Minato sensei said," Kakashi replied grouchily.

"Then, he didn't betray it. From what I heard, he saved the lives of his comrades. That means he saved what is truly important for the village." I said nodding to myself as if I had uncovered a great secret.

Kakashi's eyes twitched in response. Minato had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"He betrayed his mission. A shinobi must obey the rules and complete the mission he is assigned even at the cost of his life. He betrayed the trust Hokage sama had in him. And he sullied the name of Konoha," Kakashi stated vehemently.

It looked as if Kakashi was adamant to make me see that his father was a traitor. It would have worked if not for me being mentally an adult who could argue better than him. Not to mention the training I received from Danzo on how to contest with people with mere words. Add it to my relatively younger age and how no one expects a seven-year-old kid to argue logically, Kakashi had no chance here.

"As Minato san said, the name of a village can be reasserted. Reputation can be regained, but the lives of people can't be replaced," I said calmly in reply.

Kakashi grunted at me in reply. He was not willing to budge. I didn't mind it though. It wasn't my job to make him have a change of heart. It was Obito's. As I said, someone pointing out the flaws in one's logic is not going to change people.

Because, humans are ruled by emotions and despite how intelligent one might be, they will not accept someone else's logic over theirs easily. Unless, they already consider the person giving the advice to be stronger, wiser and more experienced. As a seven-year-old, I had none of those above qualities. Yet.

"What would you have done if you were in Sakumo san's place?" Minato asked me out of the blue.

It sure did take me by surprise. I saw Kakashi's eyes narrow at the question. Was this a test of some sort? Was Minato testing me to see how I would respond?

I eyed Minato for a minute trying to guess his motive. Being the last Senju, my actions and decisions are always under scrutiny. If the curious expression he had on his face was anything to go by, I think it was a spur of the moment question. Determining that it was not a test on my eligibility to be a shinobi, I gave it my full attention.

What would I do if I was in Sakumo's position? Nitpicking his decision from the safety of the village seemed kind of like insulting the man. Regardless, I had been posed with a question. A question that may even become a reality at some point in time.

What would I do if I was Sakumo? When I have no clue about the number of enemies we will be facing and armed with only the knowledge that this mission was vital. If I proceeded with the mission, my teammates will be in danger.

Not me though, Sakumo was as famous as the three Sannin. They were S-rank shinobi for a reason. There is very little they had to fear in this world. The chance of encountering such a threat was significantly low. So, I would be safe. That left only my teammates in danger.

I could easily go through with the mission and walk out alive. Most probably alone. But, was it worth it to sacrifice lives like that? Is it needed? What would I do?

I contemplated on it for a few more minutes before ultimately reaching a decision. Steeling my heart for whatever reactions I would get from my answer, I replied.

"I would," Kakashi and Minato's eyes took on an eager gleam to hear my answer, "… continue with the mission."

Kakashi's eyes had a glint of triumph in them. His satisfaction was written all over his face. Minato's eyes had a disappointing look in them, but he masked it well by nodding along.

"I would continue because," I elaborated my reasons and both of them leaned eagerly to hear my piece, "I am more like my grandfather. We both are realistic people. I will continue with the mission despite the danger, because danger is a part of a shinobi's life. I can't expect each and every mission to go smoothly. Sometimes sacrifices should be made."

Their interests piqued the moment I mentioned my grandfather. After all, Tobirama Senju was known as the shinobi who actually built the infrastructure of a Hidden Village. Hashirama and Madara may have founded the village; it was Tobirama who made it functional.

Minato nodded along with my reasoning and it was clear from his eyes that he approved of my decision but was not happy with it. Kakashi, on the other hand, had a smug expression on his face. But, I wasn't done though. If the little shit thought I had been converted into his way of thinking, he had another thing coming.

"That's why I respect Sakumo san a lot. Continuing with the mission was the ideal decision to make. But, was it the right thing? Sakumo san wouldn't be in any danger, for he is a lot stronger than his teammates. His teammates, on the other hand, would have surely perished during the mission. Sakumo san made a decision to save their lives, and I am sure it was not an easy decision for him. I respect him because he had what I didn't have. The courage to take difficult decisions,"

The scowl on Kakashi's face spoke everything he wanted to convey. Minato was genuinely interested in my reply and his eyes softened in understanding.

"Why do you think he made that decision?" Minato asked curiously.

"Sakumo san…. I think Sakumo san is like my Granduncle. They both cherished lives. My Granduncle wanted to find a solution to the Warring Clans Era to bring about peace because he didn't want people to die. That is why my grandfather looked up to him. And that is why I look up to Sakumo san," I finished.

Minato's expression can only be summed up as if he had had a huge revelation. That lightbulb moment - if I am to be precise. Kakashi, on the other hand, was scowling like there was no tomorrow. He couldn't forgive his father still. And he couldn't accept the fact that Sakumo was far better than the whole village.

I didn't expect him to understand yet. But, I think Minato got my explanation and the unspoken message I had conveyed through it. I didn't want to linger with them any longer. Even, I felt a little emotional after having such a conversation.

I excused myself from the duo, Minato bid me goodbye cheerfully and Kakashi was still not taking off that scowl, and made my way to the village proper. The conversation I had with Minato and Kakashi had given me a few things about myself to ponder.

It was clear that Kakashi and most of the shinobis in the village were being hypocritical about the whole business regarding Sakumo. While they all yearned to protect the village, they all conveniently forgot what the village was actually made of. And now, the only man who truly understood the value of lives was being orchestrated.

I wasn't an exception either. While I didn't orchestrate Sakumo, I wasn't any better either. While they all reviled Sakumo's actions, I merely accepted it as his nature and moved on. Sure, his actions did make an impact on me. And half the respect I had for him came from my respect for Tsunade's sacrifice.

But, when I was put into his position, I wasn't any better than Kakashi. Even though my reasons were different as to that of Kakashi's simple drivel of it is a Shinobi's duty, in the end, my actions mirrored his. What good are reasons if I am going to do the same thing as him?

After the talk with Minato, I had some serious self-reflection to do.


	16. Chapter 16 - Questions and Answers

Just one week before the graduation exam something interesting occurred to break the monotony of the dull academy life. Don't get me wrong, to most of my classmates almost every day was interesting. With the graduation coming up, there was an excitable air in the academy where brainwashed kids were jumping high with giddiness at the thought of becoming a child soldier.

Me, on the other hand, wasn't so happy as the others. Sure I was happy that the academy ordeal was finally getting over, but more than that happiness it was fear that engulfed my heart. Unlike my classmates, I knew what was out there. I knew why I was graduating early. I knew that most of my fellow classmates will probably end up dead, including me. And, I was afraid.

Even when I had no attachments to the kids sitting beside me, apart from the trio of Naras, I couldn't be unaffected knowing that at least half of these kids will die before this war gets over. And, I don't care who you are, but if you are not affected by the impending death of more than twenty children, even when they are trained to kill, then there is something wrong with you.

So naturally, I was brooding as the graduation day neared. But, I won't act like that the fear was the only reason for my brooding. There was another thing that was bugging me. My nature transformation. I had expected some kind of an epiphany to happen at least by now. Even if I couldn't accomplish it, I merely expected to at least find the solution to turn normal chakra into water natured chakra. And so far, none of my ideas have come to fruition.

And it frustrated me….

But, I digress. As I said, one week before we were supposed to take our graduation test, we all received a surprise visitor. More like multiple surprise visitors.

Ayako sensei walked into our class with a worried expression and glared at he usual troublemakers long and hard until they settled down. It was unusual itself to warrant my attention. Ayako sensei usually let kids settle down on their own. It is the first time he had intimidated them into sitting down. If that isn't unusual I don't' know what is. And naturally, it garnered my attention.

I sat straight in my seat and I saw a few of my classmates lean forward eagerly too.

"You all will be taking your graduation exams in a week. In an attempt to get you familiarize with the various organizations that you will be working for in the future, we have arranged a few guest speakers to come and elaborate their roles and responsibilities. Mind you, I want every one of you on your best behavior. If anyone crosses the line, they will not be allowed to take the graduation exams."

A silence like no other greeted his statement and immediately the kids in the class were looking at each other excitedly. And just like that, the dam broke and everyone started babbling about what they knew of various departments.

I had to admit, it was a good thing to know the roles and responsibilities of the various organizations in Konoha. Even though I knew most of the organizations in Konoha and their roles, there may be a few that I hadn't come across.

Ayako sensei left us to our babbling and walked out of the classroom. The moment he left the classroom chaos erupted. And it was hilarious to watch several kids shouting to drown out each other in an attempt to get their voice across. But it was also an absolute mayhem compared to the relative silence that existed a few minutes ago.

I rode that mayhem by putting my hands across my ears to drown out the multitude of voices speaking beside me at once. As I looked around, I was stunned to see that Soyoto and Neuki were still sleeping despite the chaos around them. I immediately searched and found a pissed Harami glaring at the girl beside her. And the girl was oblivious to the death stare she was receiving as she talked excitedly to Harami. I couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. And as if my chuckle reached her ears through the mayhem, Harami whipped to my direction and balefully stared at me. It cracked me up further. And I was sure if she was an Uchiha, she would have set me on fire with her eyes alone.

Before she could throw something at me, Ayako sensei returned and glared at everyone. The class fell silent at his glare.

"Behave" he stressed and looked at everyone.

Before things could get any further, a middle-aged woman with a kind face walked inside the classroom. Every head in the classroom swiveled to her direction.

"Students, this is Shoumijo Tsuru. She is here on behalf of the medical corps."

Ayako sensei introduced her moved back allowing her to take the center stage. The woman wore a genial smile and looked at everyone as if we had made her day.

"Good morning children, I am Shoumijo Tsuru. I am here to explain the duties of a medic nin. A medic nin is not a very glamorous occupation for a lot of young shinobi. Only very few voluntarily join us. It is because we aren't on the front lines fighting the war. Instead, we are far away from any fighting."

You could feel the interest deflate among the kids in the classroom. Some even went as far as to groan. But, it didn't put off Tsuru. Rather, she smiled genially and went on.

"However, being a medic nin is not as bad as it sounds. Being a medic nin entails far more responsibility than fighting the war," few kids let out a snort of disbelief, "In war, people get hurt. If there is no one to cure them and get them back up, no one will be fighting on the frontline. Deaths increase and casualties rise. Some of you may feel that being medic nin is beneath you, however, let me tell you something. You can't just become a medic nin if you wish. You need to have above 90 percent chakra control to even be considered to be accepted by us."

Gasps echoed all across the classroom due to that statement. By now, everyone in the classroom knew what it meant to have a high degree of chakra control. Ayako sensei had explained a few months ago that the reason most of the students were struggling with their academy jutsus were because they had low chakra control. He had went on to explain how shinobi with high chakra control had more chances of becoming a Jounin than the others.

Having caught everyone's attention, Tsuru didn't pause. She went on to explain why that high chakra control was needed to be a medic nin and how medic nin had saved several shinobis lives due to their tireless efforts and such. In the end, she wrapped her explanation with a small mention about the poster-girl for medic nins – Tsunade Senju.

"…Tsunade sama is one of the greatest medic nins of all times. She is the one who revolutionized our medical system. It is thanks to her we have a functional medical system that is best among the elemental nations. In fact, several of the nations have based their medical systems based on ours. In fact, it is widely acknowledged that it is due to her revolution in the medical system that we won the Second Shinobi War. I hope that at least one of you might come close to replicate her success,"

She meaningfully stared at me. I merely kept my face blank and stared back at her. There were hushed whisperings all around the classroom. It was not hard to miss who she was inferring at that moment. She hardly concealed it with her pointed stare. And just when I thought things can't get any awkward, she spoke again.

"Hatorama kun, I heard from the Hokage that you have excellent chakra control. If you decide to put in more work, I am sure you can walk in your cousin's footsteps."

Dead silence filled the room. I merely stared at her. It was true, my chakra control was excellent. I had even started to waterwalk this early in my career and from experience I can tell that it takes a lot of concentration and excellent chakra control. Not to mention, fighting on water takes even further chakra control. And If you take my large chakra reserves, it is no wonder they thought that I could follow Tsunade's footsteps if I applied myself.

Shoumijo Tsuru didn't talk any further. She merely smiled at me serenely and walked away from the classroom filled with whispers. Ayako sensei was looking at me strangely. I didn't fault the man either. I had never shown much potential in the classroom. It should come as a huge surprise to him that my chakra control has caught the eye of medic nins. However, he soon recovered and went out to fetch the next speaker.

The moment he stepped out, hushed whispers and mutterings broke out among my classmates. However, not everyone was talking in a whisper. Fujita Uchiha didn't even bother to lower his voice as he spoke to his clansmen.

"Good riddance… That coward should definitely follow his cowardly cousin's footsteps. It would be fitting. At least, it would keep him alive. What a shame! How the mighty Senju clan has fallen,"

Loud guffaws followed his statement from the rest of his clansmen. I gritted my teeth in anger. It would be so easy to snap and teach the little punk a lesson. However, I had come this far hiding my abilities. Just one more week…. I can endure this. From the corner of my eyes, I saw others looking at me hoping I would retaliate somehow.

But, they all waited in vain. I was not going to lose my cool over a stupid kid's remark. I had come this far. Just one more week wouldn't make much of a difference. Then, we would all go different ways. Thankfully, Ayako sensei walked in at that moment with a grim looking man behind him.

"Children, this is Najiko Ren. He is here to talk about the mission assignment department."

Najiko Ren introduced himself and began explaining how missions were assigned and graded. He went into a little detail about the process involving it. While I already knew most of the stuff, living with a Hokage had its perks, the others ate it up. Several of the kids were fascinated with his work and soon he too left.

The next was a Yamanaka representing Intel Division. A gruff looking Inuzaka followed him and explained the duties of tracker/hunter nin. Several shinobis appeared after them detailing the various activities of different divisions in Konoha. Lunch came and went, for the first time kids were eager to get back to class. It was almost evening when the last person I wanted to meet walked in.

Fugaku Uchiha walked into the classroom and I groaned. The Uchihas who were in the classroom sat up straighter and looked around proudly. Their posture reminded me of a preening peacock. I grumbled an unintelligible curse and promptly flopped onto the desk. Uchiha Military Police was nothing new to me. In fact, that particular group of people and that name combined brought me some bad taste in the mouth. This division was where their downfall started, and my grandfather was the one who initiated it. Was I somehow responsible for the fate written for them down the line? I didn't know and it didn't sit well with me at all.

"Senju Hatorama, will you stir straight? That is not the proper posture to keep in a classroom,"

Yup, that is how Fugaku Uchiha started his speech. No greetings or endorsements about his department. Instead, he started with a dig at my slumped form. I merely raised an eyebrow at him. As I have said, Fugaku Uchiha hated me. Every time we both were in each other's presence, he took a dig at me. It was nothing new. But, I never expected him to pursue that to this extent.

I sat up straight and a hush filled the classroom. We stared at each other for a few moments before he averted his eyes to look over the class. I glanced around and found the Naras were as usual slumped. I let out a huge sigh and turned to eye him. As expected, he had expected such a reaction from me and was standing there impassively as if daring me to make a comment. I merely averted my eyes and looked elsewhere.

"Young shinobi of leaf, I am Uchiha Fugaku. Chief of Military Police. Military Police of Konoha was formed under the edict of Second Hokage Senju Tobirama to govern the domestic disputes that might arise between the population of Konoha. Unlike other departments, we deal with both civilians and shinobis. The Uchiha clan, one of the founding clans of Konoha, was given the privilege to deal with the domestic disputes that might arise in Konoha."

His tone was clipped. Straight to the point. Hardly any intonation or emotion in it. But, I had to give it to him, the man had a commanding presence and self-assurance. He easily made a classroom full of drained kids to listen to him. And it takes some natural commanding presence to do so. It is surely not a small feat to grab the attention of every kid in the room this late into the day.

He went on to explain the duties of Military Police and explained the responsibility entrusted to their clan by the Second Hokage. There was no resentment in his voice. It was pride that resonated through his entire being. And, at that moment it dawned on me that at this juncture, the Uchihas were proud to be the Military Police. They thought that only they could do it.

I mentally applauded my grandfather for creating such a believable white lie. He had created something that sated both the Uchiha's hunger for power and their pride in being the best. That was a win-win situation for both parties. Maybe, maybe, my grandfather wasn't as prejudiced as the series made me believe. In his own way, he was giving the Uchihas what they had always wanted.

It was at that moment it dawned on me that my grandfather may have been prejudiced against the Uchihas, but he didn't intend to alienate them. It was the fallout from his death and the impact of his prejudice in the subsequent generation that alienated them. I couldn't even fault Danzo, in a way my grandfather was responsible for poisoning Danzo's mind against Uchiha. However, Tobirama Senju had thought it was the best course of action at that time. And until now, it looked to be so. So, where had it gone wrong?

My mind raced. I hardly paid any attention to what Fugaku was saying. It was not important compared to the epiphany I had had. But a few things didn't add up in my mind. Why the Uchihas? Were they the only clan vying for power? No, at that time, Hashirama Senju had just died. And it would have created a power vacuum. I wasn't naïve to believe that no other clan wanted the Hokage title. Sure, the Uchihas were vying. But, were they the only ones?

The Naras were too lazy to actually want the position. Also, the Yamanaka and Nara clan had followed Akimichi clan. If anything, they would have pushed for a Akimichi Hokage. Inuzakas wouldn't have minded as long as they and their ninken were free from the hassle. They neither had the patience or the composure to win a political struggle. They were brash people. And politics wasn't something that suited them. They wouldn't have wanted it.

But,

What about Sarutobi, Shimura, Akimichi, and Hyugas? Surely, they weren't so magnanimous enough to allow someone to claim the title. Maybe Akimichis. But, the others were not that magnanimous. In that case, then giving the Uchihas the Military Police was a political move. And if my grandfather was as much a realist as the history stated, then he must have made some concessions to other clans too.

Hiruzen and Danzo were his students. Did he take them up as his students to sooth the tensions? What did he give the Hyugas then? Maybe the right to govern themselves – something like a caged bird seal?

My mind was whirling. My grandfather had created a political masterstroke. Appease the Uchihas with a sole authority over the village's domestic disputes. Take in two promising young shinobi from other major clans as students and give them a sign that one of them can succeed him. And if any other clan grumbled, the Uchihas were there to come down on them hard. No sweat of his skin. He had cleverly moved all the opposing powers to be at each other's neck to succeed him. Not hinder his way to the power. And you couldn't handle a powderkeg for power that might blow up and tear the village down at any moment better than that. It was a brilliant masterstroke of political maneuvering.

But, where it had all gone wrong was when he died. The fire he ignited to rise to power was not fully quenched when he died. And it had spread through out the village like cancer and now he was not there to direct it somewhere else.

His untimely death had derailed all his plans to establish a peaceful country. Instead, his death has left Uchihas isolated and in bad terms with most of the clans due to their policing. A Shimura waiting in the shadows to grab the power from a Sarutobi. Hyugas enjoying unchecked autonomy over their clan that has started to form tensions within themselves. The only ones who were left safe were the ones who might have stayed out of the entire power struggle after Hashirama's death. And his own clan… reduced to merely two survivors. No one. I wasn't supposed to live at all.

Oh, the irony of that!

If that is what had happened, then Tsunade's point of view of the Hokage seat being cursed had an even more deep meaning. The only ways this vicious struggle could have broken was if there was a clear cut successor for Tobirama in Senju clan, which wasn't there at that time, or if someone completely outside of this entire shebang became Hokage.

And Minato had been that!

Only, he had died with just a year under his belt. As a result, Uchihas were almost wiped out. There was no Sarutobis or Shimuras shown from the show either apart from a few important ones. The Hyuga clan had almost blown itself from inside.

Only the clans that were outside of the power struggle was left with a sizeable number of members while the next generation came of age. One man's untimely death had created a cascade effect that had almost destroyed most of the powerful clans of the nation by the time the third generation came out.

And as I watched Fugaku Uchiha leave, I could almost hear my grandfather's lament at his untimely death. If only the cloud bastards knew how close they came to destroy Konoha….

 **(*****)**

I sat on top of the Naka River, rooting my body to the river's surface with chakra as it flew below me. The chirping of birds in the far-off tree and the sound of the flowing river were my only companions. My chakra sense didn't pick up anyone near my vicinity guaranteeing me my isolation.

I had two days to go till the graduation exams begin and if I am not mistaken, I wouldn't be able to get time to myself minimum for the next six months. I was sure once I graduated, the team bonding, constant D-ranks, and team training will occupy my time far more than I would like and I decided to enjoy my relatively peaceful situation as long as it lasted.

The river flowing below me was soothing as it gave off a warm feeling with its constant motion. I pulled back my chakra sense – by now I could envelope quite a distance with my chakra sense due to constantly using it in the past few weeks. While I hadn't measured the exact distance, I knew for a fact it will hard to catch me off-guard with my chakra sense on. I pulled it back deciding to take a well-deserved break before the hassle began.

The peaceful atmosphere was beginning to relax me and I felt the ever-present tension in my body slowly fade. All in all, I was pretty content with where I was in my life. My taijutsu was quite good, and I will dare say I can give a run to a high-level chunnin for his money if I took my weights off. My fuinjutsu and bukinjutsu were passable enough. While they weren't my main worries, I had decent enough skill in them.

I had come to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to be an awesome weapons master like Tenten or as good as the Uchihas in using Shuriken. My aptitude for weapons was passable at best. On the other hand, I had realized early in my training that fuinjutsu would need decades of concentration to master it. Hence, I had no worries regarding them.

My genjutsu was non-existent and since I was a Senju that avenue was closed even prior to this. While I can master basic genjutsus, I knew that they weren't going to be my fortes. Seriously, the Uchihas had it easy. Their affinity for fire made them ninjutsu experts and the Sharingan hack they had helped them along with all three major avenues for shinobi. And even the ever-difficult genjutsu was made easy for them with their Sharingan. How overpowered and unfair that was! And I was sure that I am beginning to hate Sharingan at this point solely on principle.

I am even amazed that the Senjus fought toe to toe with them despite the advantage the stupid Sharingan gave to them. That gave me a feeling of pride to be a Senju. While I preferred to leave out my last name when dealing with people, the Uchihas were a different matter. I was proud of being a Senju when it came to dealing with Uchiha bastards.

The only thing that worried me was my ninjutsu skills. Three academy jutsus – that's it. And it was giving me grey hair. But I wasn't fazed; recently I have been training to perform multiple substitutions to compensate for my ninjutsu skills. If I can't fight, then I needed to have an evasion technique just in case if I ever get into trouble. And a war is nothing if not trouble.

Letting out my worries drown in the soothing feeling of my pleasant atmosphere, I aimlessly drifted along with just enough concentration to keep me stationary on the flowing river – after all, it wouldn't do good to float along with the river and enter Uchiha territory. That… would be interesting. Just for a moment, I felt the childish urge to see how the stuck-ups will react to it. But, I nipped the thought at the bud reminding myself that Danzo was waiting around for just an opportunity like that.

Aimlessly, I let my mind wander from one thing to the other before it settled on the aquatic life forms below. I could feel them circling underwater waiting for me to plummet down. Ha, fat chance! Take that you buggers, I have completely mastered water walking and hell would freeze over before you get a taste of me again.

Suddenly curious to see how many of them were waiting for my downfall, I enveloped a small area of water with my chakra sense. There were quite a few buggers down there. Looks like the crowd had enlarged since my last plummet. Too bad, I am not in the mood to get bitten by countless fishes. Kami did it sting!

Unknowing to me, my chakra seeped into the water and mingled with it. I realized it belatedly and tried to pull back the connection only to stop short in the process. My eyes widened as I felt my chakra move along with the water to quite a distance from where I was sitting. It was… quite some distance.

Suddenly grabbed by a silly notion, I acted on it. I let my chakra flow into the water and tried to envelop as much water as possible. It took a few minutes before I felt the telltale signs of my chakra running thin. I could barely dredge up enough chakra to stay still on the moving water.

But, on the other hand, the feeling I was experiencing as my chakra mixed into the river was indescribable. It was as if my entire being had enlarged to envelop something huge. I was big, I was strong, and I was smooth and ever-changing. I could feel the aquatic life forms milling around in the area of water I had encompassed and Kami were they numerous.

I had always known that my chakra reserves were quite big for a seven-year-old and from the looks of it, I could envelop quite a distance from my position extending both sides. Kami was it just relaxing! Giddy with this newfound relaxation method, I fully immersed myself into it. I wanted to feel more and have a taste of being something sooooo…. primal.

I sat there felling the water I had encompassed move lethargically without any purpose. Always finding the easiest route to flow. Shifting about smaller obstacles, flowing around bigger ones and even encompassing them without affecting them. It was as if a whole new world had been opened to my senses. I soaked in it and let my mind empty, feeling so relaxed.

I felt the water move in its natural way and some part of me resonated with it in harmony. I didn't bother to think about it. Probably being a water natured shinobi was the only reason I could feel this. If not, who knows?

I blinked. Huh, that might actually work.

And then it hit me. How dumb I had been? Seriously, how could I miss this? I have been feeling it for such a long time that I had even got accustomed to it.

Water flows.

It is as simple as that. And what a moron I was to miss this all along. This might actually be the key to my problem. Move the chakra and let it flow naturally. Like a river moving naturally along its course. Goddamnit!

Oops!

And then I plummeted once more underwater, my concentration slipping with my joy in my new found answer. And the buggers got me good.

Damn those buggers…..

"This is not over you squiggly morons! I will get ow…. ow… back at ouch!... at you for this…. Ouch! Ouch! Stop biting me there! Stop it! Stop it! Damn you buggers! Ow… ow… ow…"

 **(*****)**

 **A/N:** Hi, thank you for all your love and support. The story is going to enter the Third Shinobi War and so far you have gotten to know Hatorama in a relatively peaceful environment. I know many of you have been chaffing at the lack of action so far. Hatorama gets into his first fight next chapter. Yes, you guessed right. Its the graduation chapter. I am actually done with it and currently editing it. Will post it as soon as possible.

Also, let me know what you thought about the political theory I explained in this chapter. I have an inkling that it would fit well with the story and what we saw of the clans in the series.


	17. Chapter 17 - Taijutsu Mayhem

The feeling I was enjoying as I made my way into the academy good seven minutes late on the day of my graduation exam was nothing sort of jubilation. I had done it! I had done it! Look out old man, I am gonna run circles around you sooner or later!

After I had picked myself out of the river (getting away from the buggers was more troublesome than I thought. It looked like they didn't want their favorite snack to escape easily. Those bastards were chasing me till I walked out of the river) and made it to the bank, I was thoroughly exhausted. My chakra was near depletion and I decided to call it a day.

My happiness in figuring out the problem that had stumped me for long was only tempered by the humiliation I felt in being caught by those buggers. The bemused look Biwako gave me when I entered the house all wet and sporting red marks all over my face, just added to my irritation. What am I to say? That a bunch of fishes were eager to taste me? I could imagine how that would me received. I threw another bout of curses at those buggers and promptly slept off from exhaustion.

After a good night's sleep, my chakra was mostly restored thanks to the fact that my body was still developing. Immediately I started working on my newfound breakthrough and Kami was it wonderful to feel the mist flowing out of my mouth. I worked on it till I was exhausted and went back to sleep not bothering to attend the academy.

Today, I set off with a few bandages on my face (thanks to some of the overenthusiastic buggers. I swear I am gonna fry that entire school of fish and gorge on their carcass), before making a detour to my favorite resting spot. I took my sweet time admiring the village before eventually starting to the academy.

I knew I was late a few minutes, but honestly, I could care less about being late. I had done it! I had figured out how to convert normal chakra into water natured chakra on my own and Kami was it a wonderful feeling.

As I entered the classroom, the entire class was assembled and ready for the test. Ayako sensei raised an eyebrow at my unusual appearance and his eyes demanded the reason for my tardiness.

I rubbed the back of my head and closed one eye before replying sheepishly, "Sorry sensei, I just got lost on the road of life."

Ayako sensei's eyes twitched and his lips grew thin letting me know that he was not amused by my excuse. On the other hand, I could hear the entire classroom facepalm at my excuse. The only exception to it was the glares I received from the Hyugas and Uchihas in our class. The tense atmosphere broke when Harami let out a guffaw and started banging her desk in amusement. The duster that bonked her head leaving a nice print in memento was not as amusing though.

Ayako sensei turned towards me and gritted out, "Get in."

As I passed him by on my way in, I could hear him distinctly mutter to himself that it would be good riddance to see me gone. I flashed a smile at Neuki and Soyoto who gave me a thumbs up each and waved at Harami who cheerfully waved back before taking the one empty spot.

There was a paper resting on my table already and the class resumed its silence as the test progressed. It wasn't difficult, to be honest. Most of it required us to spew forth the propaganda that we have been subjected to for the last one and half years or so. I had a suspicion that the exam was made easy to spew out more genin to be the cannon fodder in the upcoming war. From the looks of it, none of the students had any trouble with the exam.

Honestly, even regular class exams were tough compared to this shit they had asked us to answer. An entire class being fast-tracked to make up numbers and it was no wonder that Konoha had huge casualties during the original timeline in the Third Shinobi War. I was secretly glad that none of my friends would be seeing the frontlines. If this was the standard they were keeping to, then it only meant they were creating fodder.

Despite not rushing, I finished the test in half an hour despite the allocated two hours duration. When I looked up I found several of the Hyugas and Uchihas were already finished. I cast my eyes to look for Harami, Neuki, and Soyoto, only to find that the trio was already napping. I snorted at the scene causing Ayako sensei to narrow his eyes at me. I rolled my eyes away from his look and started staring out the window.

Within an hour, everyone had finally finished the test and we were asked to wait outside while Ayako sensei graded our papers. Harami approached me as soon as I got out of the classroom and started bugging me.

"Hey, what's with the makeup? Who gave you those lovely red spots?"

"None of your business," I growled at her.

Like hell I am going to tell her that a bunch of fish thought of me as their snack.

"You look like a deer, with only red spots," she laughed causing everyone to turn their eyes towards us.

I merely scowled at her.

"Ah! is Hato kun angry? Don't be Hato kun. I am sure no one thinks bad of you for having red spots," she started giggling like a deranged psychopath and I have to say it alarmed me.

"Who are you? What have you done with Harami chan?" I asked her causing her to stop giggling and stick her tongue out.

"Ow! You are no fun!" she pouted.

"Please, my quota of fun for the month got over the day before yesterday," I drawled causing her to punch me.

"I mean, really, what happened?" she asked at last calming down.

"Training accident," I replied not bothering to elaborate.

"You! Train!" she exclaimed in mock horror.

"It is a wonder he even knows such a word," an arrogant voice interrupted us.

Harami and I turned around to look at the group of Uchihas smirking at us. I sighed in reply. This was going to be one of those days. Those assholes have been trying to rile me up for the past one and a half years. I am even amazed that they were still going on with it considering how I usually paid them little heed.

"What are you looking at you Senju scum? Even your forefathers will be ashamed to know that their lineage has given birth to such a waste of space," Kyoma Uchiha smirked.

I took my time to clean my ears before replying.

"Uh, did you say something?"

I could see Harami's eyes twinkle in amusement. On the other hand, my usual response didn't seem to please the Uchihas. I could see nervousness bleeding out of their forms. It looked like they had decided to battle that nervousness the only way they knew it – picking a fight. And why bother with someone when a Senju is in the vicinity, right? Right!

"You think you are clever, Senju scum. I could beat you with my hands tied behind," Fujita Uchiha growled from behind the lead one.

I waved them off and started walking away as usual. They were going to hurl some more insults on my Senju name and get frustrated and walk away like usual. It was no big deal. They could growl all they want, but as if the words of seven-year-olds could bother me.

And as predicted, they started mouthing off my behind while Harami and I were already halfway down the corridor. Their grumblings grew low and low as the distance between us increased. A Hyuga from another class was looking at me with disgust etched across his face. I could easily guess what was running through his mind.

You see, Hyugas were very prideful about their family name. You want to get a rise out of a Hyuga? Simple, insult their family. But, beware though, those bastards could be really touchy about it and if you are not prepared for their wrath you might end up in the hospital with a couple of blocked tenketsu points in your body.

I paid him no heed either. We reached our regular shade and found Neuki and Soyoto already relaxing under it. They eyed us for a moment before Neuki spoke.

"Why have you dragged a Hyugga with you?"

"Huh," me and Harami answered intelligently and turned to see the Hyuga who was giving me a third-degree treatment with his eyes in the corridor behind me. I hadn't noticed him following us (I usually turn off my chakra sense once I reach academy. After I became proficient in sensing, it kind of became a chore to keep it on during academy). And from the looks of it, so is Harami.

"Why aren't you upholding the honor of Senju name?" he asked genuinely curious.

I merely shrugged not willing to explain myself to this self-important prick. He didn't even have the courtesy of giving me his name, why should I bother to answer his question.

"I know you are capable of taking them on," he said causing me to raise my eyebrows.

I had been very careful in keeping my Taijutsu skills as low key as possible in the academy. Even during the last few months, I had purposefully held back to make it look like I was only average in that department.

"What made you think so…. No-name Hyuga?" I asked causing Harami to snicker beside me.

Neuki and Soyoto let out a grunt to indicate their amusement. The bastards were so lazy to even properly snicker.

The Hyuga's face scrunched up with the name I had provided him.

"Forgive me, I am Tokuma Hyuga," he introduced himself, "I have seen you practice your taijutsu on the water earlier. That must require incredible chakra control and a good amount of balance."

Neuki wolf-whisted behind me and I gave him a stink eye. Harami started snickering even stronger by now.

"Tch, troublesome. He can already walk on water. I thought it was chunnin stuff," Soyoto helpfully supplied.

I eyed Tokuma Hyuga for a minute. I didn't know when he had seen me practicing. Probably before my encounter with Fugaku, for I had both stopped practicing and started keeping an eye on other's presence after that. Even then, I would have noticed someone staring at me. He didn't have the capacity to hide from me if he was watching me for a long time. Considering how paranoid I am in regards to keeping my head low, I would have noted that for sure.

"Mah, mah, I think you are confusing me with someone," I responded waving him off.

His eyes twitched, "I am sure it was you Senju-dono. There aren't any other Senju in Konoha."

And from the looks of it, I couldn't bullshit my way out of this either. How did he see it then? How? Ah! Those damn all-seeing eyes. I think I am going to get a complex regarding this eye thing if this continues.

"Having Byakugan must sure come in handy, isn't it Hyuga san?" I asked mockingly.

Take that sucker! We can see how you like me airing out your secrets.

As expected, his face blanked. His eyes roamed over the Naras lazing around beside me.

Oh! Lovely! Looks like someone was keeping their achievement under the wraps. I wonder why though. Wasn't Hyugas all arrogant self-important pricks? Why would someone like a Hyuga hide that achievement? It didn't make any sense.

Unless…. Unless he was afraid of something. What would a child like him be afraid of? Ah! The Caged Bird Seal! Now it makes sense.

I felt a little pity well-up inside me for the boy. He had unlocked his heritage only to be afraid of being branded with the cursed seal. I could understand his hesitation to reveal it to his family. Hell, even I would be worried if unlocking my heritage meant carrying a bomb in my head with a remote trigger in some asshole's hands.

I could feel him panicking inside, wondering where he slipped for me to identify he had unlocked his Byakugan. I patted him on the shoulders before giving him a comforting smile.

When he looked up at me in confusion I stated to my friends, "This doesn't leave this place. Do not ever reveal to anyone about his Byakugan. It is his secret to tell. Do you understand?"

Harami's snicker vanished and Neuki merely opened his eyes before snorting and going back to his rest. Soyoto nodded his head and I had to stare at Harami for a few moments before she reluctantly nodded. She never liked people picking on me for my family name and anyone who did so was on her shit list.

While I am grateful to her for that, Tokuma was just a young boy who I guessed to be confused regarding family, pride and other stuff. Awakening his Byakugan must have left him in a serious dilemma regarding the topic of family and duty. I could understand why he approached me.

Tokuma looked surprised that we would keep his secret to ourselves. While I felt like snorting at his naivety to believe the word of four strangers, I couldn't fault him as he was only a seven-year-old kid.

"Look here Tokuma, I don't need to defend my family honor. If the words of seven-year-old kids like you and me can damage the honor of Senju clan, they didn't have the honor that was worth in the first place. Getting into fights for that is simply foolish. I have no intention of being in detention just because some idiot got a rise out of me. I have far better things to do with my time," I answered his question sincerely.

He seemed to consider my words seriously before nodding in acceptance.

"Your logic is sound. I shall try to follow your advice in the future. Good day to you all," he bowed once before walking back towards the rest of his clan mates who were talking in the distance.

Harami waited till he was a good distance away from us before turning on me.

"What was that?" she demanded.

"Clan stuff," I answered noncommittally.

Neuki perked up at the mention of fresh information. Even Soyoto looked as if he wanted to hear more.

"Explain," Harami pressed.

"It is better if you don't know," I said in reply.

"You are asking us to keep a secret. We deserve to know what we are getting into," Neuki pointed out helpfully from the sidelines.

I let out a huge sigh. How much should I tell them? While no one had told me regarding the workings of other clans yet – even Danzo didn't go into much detail about it, I had an abundance of knowledge regarding some plot-relevant issues. Caged Bird Seal was one such thing.

"I think he is from a branch family. Awakening their Kekkei Genkai comes with a certain price for branch clan members of the Hyuga clan. I won't say anything else. If you want more details, ask Shikaku san," I replied providing them with a partial explanation.

None of them looked happy. Harami especially looked as if she was pouting. But, seeing that I wasn't going to elaborate they decided to drop the matter.

As I sat there along with my friends lazing around until Ayako sensei called us in for the practical portions, I realized that the conversation has given me some valuable inputs. It seemed as if the Caged Bird Seal was not put on the branch family members until one awakens their Byakugan. It made sense. The entire premise of the seal was to prevent the theft of their Byakugan, even when the intention has been twisted in the application. If someone didn't have Byakugan, they didn't need the seal in first place.

Sure, Tokuma was going to get into trouble for hiding his awakening. And I was certain that they were going to find out his awakening sooner or later. But, I couldn't fault the kid for feeling trepidation in allowing someone to have his fate literally in their hands.

Hell, I would hide it too if I was in his place.

After lunch, Ayako sensei called us for the first part of our practical examination. We all assembled in the grounds for the Taijutsu examination. The examination was simple enough, land a hit on Ayako sensei within five minutes. If you did, you passed. If not, tough luck.

While I wasn't worried for myself, I was worried about Harami, Neuki, and Soyoto. The Nara trio were not well-versed in Taijutsu like me. Granted, Ayako sensei will definitely be holding back. I couldn't help but feel worried for my friends.

Ayako sensei didn't call us in any order. He randomly called out a name and the student was asked to step into the circle with him. Initially, nothing seemed suspicious as Ayako sensei began calling out students and tested them. Most of the civilian kids were called out first and promptly they were tested in Taijutsu.

After that, he began to call other students from the clan reserving the Hyugas, me, and the Uchihas for the last. The Nara trio passed their test barely. Soyoto was better among them than the other two. He landed a hit in the first two minutes itself surprising most of the class, including me. Neuki and Harami though, both barely passed. While they didn't land any hits, they came close to doing so. Luckily enough, Ayako sensei was being a little lenient when it came to giving out the passing grade. Seriously, none of the students failed in the Taijutsu class. If that isn't a sign for minting out cannon fodder, I didn't know what is.

Once the others were done, Ayako sensei called out a Hyuga and Uchiha alternatively. But, when he conveniently started ignoring me and Fujita and Kyoma, I felt a little trepidation enter my heart. Even Harami noticed it. The Uchihas though were impatient and coincidentally oblivious to what he was doing. They only realized that only us three were left when everyone was done.

Ayako sensei eased off his Taijutsu stance and looked at us with a playful smirk on his face. I groaned realizing that the man must have heard our conversation outside the class and was taking this as an opportunity to throw me to the wolves. And from the looks of it, I think the Uchihas were also realizing my predicament as Ayako sensei didn't take up his Taijutsu stance.

"It is said that the graduation marks are the end of the leg of a journey into being a Shinobi, " Ayako sensei spoke to the class, "Call it a checkpoint. While some things end, some things begin anew. While your career as a shinobi may begin truly from this day, I would like you all to leave your petty grudges here and move as the shinobi of Konoha. "

I grimaced deducing where this was going. There is no way in hell he has left us three particularly because he wanted us to kiss and make up. No, he wanted us to settle it with fists like Shinobis.

Tch, troublesome.

"Today, I am going to present you three Hatorama, Kyoma and Fujita with an opportunity to settle your grudges like a true shinobi in a spar like your forefathers did," if anything the Uchihas were looking ecstatic, "You three will indulge in a free for all spar and settle your grudges before stepping out of this academy."

That was the final nail in the coffin.

As I looked around, I could see the anticipation in the eyes of our classmates to witness a spar between Senju and Uchiha. I caught Harami's eye as she gave me a worried look and flashed a reassuring smile to her.

To be honest, it was no biggie. I could take on the two punks easily. Hell, if I undid the seals on my weights, I could run circles around the bastards. But, I have been avoiding getting into such a conflict for my entire academy duration. Why can't people just act mature? Why did sensei have to force me to compete against those dunderheads?

Kyoma and Fujita eagerly cracked their knuckles and stepped forward. They both did a few stretches and morphed into the traditional Uchiha Taijutsu stance. I eyed them both wearily and stepped into the circle.

"You can't run anymore coward. I am gonna beat you into a pulp," Kyoma shouted pointing his finger at me.

I grimaced at the noise he was emitting. It was uncharacteristic for an Uchiha. I turned around to look at Ayako sensei who was smiling like a cat which had cornered a mouse.

"Ah! Sensei can I withdraw from this test and take the test like others?" I asked in a last-ditch effort.

"Coward!" "Fight Us" The Uchihas shouted.

The other students in the class jeered at my question and quite a few catcalls came my way. I endured it all smiling and waited for Ayako sensei's response. He looked at me with what amounted to disappointment flickering across his place. I didn't know what he was thinking but I desperately hoped he saw the wisdom in what I was suggesting.

"Looks like your classmates want to see you three fight Hatorama kun. I can't disappoint them, can I?" the perverse glee leaking out of his voice made me groan.

Maybe, just maybe, I should have been on time today.

"I am afraid it won't be fair for other students, sensei," I tried a different route. "I mean, Hyuga san there," I pointed at one of the Hyugas who had a higher rank than me in Taijutsu class, "is far proficient than me in Taijutsu. Why don't you mix them up with him?"

The Hyuga didn't react. He was watching the proceedings with a stoic face. As did the rest of his clan members. The remaining Uchihas were throwing immature insults my way like asking if I am a girl or what and like that. The rest of the class was now waiting for sensei's reply. Ayako sensei looked at me critically for a minute wondering why I was hesitant before turning to the class.

"Do you guys object to the test I gave to Hatorama? If anyone does so, please raise their hands?" he asked.

Harami, bless her, was the only one who raised her hand. I let out a dejected sigh.

"Sorry Harami chan, looks like you are outvoted." Ayako sensei said gleefully.

I rubbed my head in irritation. It looked as if there was no out for me. I sighed and readied myself mentally. I knew that I had to give up the charade one day or other. But, I hadn't expected it to be this sooner.

So, this is it huh? Should I go all out and thrash them like there is no tomorrow or moderate myself so that I could hold onto my secrets a little longer? Is it worth it to reveal my secrets this early in my career just to satisfy the ego of two kids and a vengeful sensei? I could take some beating and make it look close, that way it wouldn't be too glaring. But, I can't lose. Not after all the shenanigans.

"Sensei, I can hang back and let Kyoma fight him if he is afraid," Fujita said boastfully.

I merely raised my eyebrows at that. Sensei had said it was a free for all and from the looks of it, the Uchihas were not even bothering to put up a pretense of a three-way fight.

"No, Fujita kun. As I said, this is a free for all. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair for Hatorama kun," the sarcasm dripping of Ayako sensei's voice was clearly evident.

"You hang back Fujita. I will finish with him and we can spar to see who is standing. It won't even take me a minute to crush him like a bug,"

"Look at him, coward. It is no wonder his cousin ran off wanting nothing to do with him. Quickly, finish him off and we can have a real spar," Fujita said causing my body to go rigid.

Oh no he didn't! The bastard didn't accuse my cousin of abandoning me! No way he said that in front of the entire class!

"Hatorama, are you okay?" Ayako sensei's voice came from far off.

I was struggling very hard not to dash off and punch that bastard's living daylights out. As always, when someone badmouthed my cousin my anger was coursing through my veins.

They wanted a spar right. I am gonna give them a massacre.

But…. was it worth it to beat a seven-year-old for something he said without even meaning to?

"Sensei," my voice sounded hollow even to me, "are you sure you wanna do this?"

I asked hoping the bastard will give me one last chance to walk away from it.

It was not worth it! It was not worth it!

"Yes, Hatorama kun," Ayako sensei said.

There was a small tinge of doubt in his voice now. But, the deed was done. When I looked up, my eyes were red. I could hear Harami gasp somewhere in the crowd. My mind wasn't on her though, it was on Fujita, the bastard who badmouthed my cousin.

"As if his cousin is not a cowa…."

Kyoma didn't even get the chance to finish his statement as I shot forward with chakra enhanced strength and punched his daylights out into the crowd of students. He shot from my fist and landed in a heap knocking the feet out of few of the other students.

I watched Ayako sensei's stunned face from the corner of my eyes before dusting my hands off as if knocking out a fellow student meant nothing to me.

"Lesson number one, while talking in my vicinity," I drawled melodramatically, "DON'T INSULT MY COUSIN," I finished the statement and turned to face Fujita who was gaping at me.

As if my eyes brought him out of the daze he was in, his face turned red from anger and indignation and he spluttered unable to reply.

"You are dead, teme!" he growled cracking his knuckles.

"For a clan that needs special powers to even defeat weaklings, you lot take yourselves too seriously," I calmly replied.

While most of the class was trying to work out the insult I had uttered, the Uchihas in the class stiffened. An inhuman growl erupted from Fujita's throat. It didn't look like he took it well. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Ayako sensei wondering if he had made a blunder by allowing this mayhem to occur.

"Don't you dare insult our clan's Kekkei Genkai, you Senju scum," Fujita roared and came at me with a flurry of kicks and punches.

I dodged them effortlessly. While Fujita was good, he wasn't at my level. I have been practicing Taijutsu like a maniac for the past three years with nothing to do. If this was an all-out-spar the kid may have a chance owing to my non-existent ninjutsu, but in a pure Taijutsu contest I am afraid, the kid was at a severe disadvantage.

I watched in boredom as he tried to keep track of my moves. I did some false twitches to see if he tracked them too and to my wonder he did. His reflexes were good. Especially, his eyes. And if he ever activates his Sharingan, his tracking would only improve. If he focused on increasing his speed and reflexes, he would be a nightmare to fight in the future.

No wonder, the Uchihas were prideful about their dojutsu. Despite the way it is awakened, I could respect the nigh-invincible ability it would provide to the user once it was done. Too bad, I would have definitely liked to test my skills against someone who is adept in using those eyes at this moment.

I flipped of Fujita's elbow to create some distance between us and dusted my dress off nonchalantly. The twitch in Fujita's eyes and his hard-pressed mouth indicated his frustration. He had thrown almost everything in his Taijutsu arsenal at me, but I had neatly evaded them with little to no effort. The ever-present smirk he usually had when picking on me was nowhere to be found.

I realized that I really liked this feeling of power I possessed. It was strangely exhilarating. To brush off your opponent's moves like as if they were mere ants was really invigorating. I smiled at him and folded one of my arms behind my back and beckoned him.

"Come hither," I said my voice laced with amusement.

He growled and launched at me once more. Seriously, is this kid dumb? He should have understood by now that I was way faster than him. The ideal thing to do in this situation was to go on defense and wait for me to come to him so that he could try to land a hit on me. But, all he was doing was repeating the same thing he did before.

Eventually, I got bored of dodging his hits and delivered a light kick causing him to stumble back. His eyes widened in shock that I had landed a hit on him. I smirked at him and relaxed my pose.

"I distinctly remember you telling me that you can beat me with your hands tied behind. What happened? You know what? Don't answer that, it was a rhetorical question and I think it went way over your head. But, guess what, you might have some luck in the next round," I said folding both my hands behind me and beckoning him forward with my head.

I heard amused tittering sound from the crowd and watched him grit his teeth before once again rushing towards me like a fool. This time it was difficult. I will give him that. He was trying way more hard than the previous two times. And me keeping my hand to my back meant that I can't block him with my arms. The only thing I could do was evade and I set my mind onto it.

It was tough going, I eventually managed to outlast him as he started breathing heavily and his movements became slow. We both paused for a few moments, him catching his breath, me stretching myself a little. You see, his three chances were done, when we get back I am going to kick the bastard into next week for accusing my cousin of abandoning me.

"All right, I think…." Ayako sensei began trying to stop the spar.

I shot out like a bullet from my place not allowing him to finish. Fujita saw me coming, I meant his eyes tracked me rushing towards him, and tried to react. I easily slipped past his guard delivered a kick to his midsection causing him to slide a few feet.

"Lesson…" another kick to his ass causing him to rock forward.

"…number…." A punch to his gut saw him rising upwards.

"…two…" a roundhouse kick to his face finished him off as he was knocked out.

"…..just because your eyes can track my movements it doesn't mean your body can react to my speed. In essence, your eyes are useless in Taijutsu if I am faster than you by a long margin." I finished dusting off myself and beamed a brilliant smile at Ayako sensei.

Lee would one day impart the same lesson onto Sasuke. Sure I stole from him, but that is the best thing about being reincarnated in the anime world you watched. You get to do all the cool stuff your saw other characters do.

"I would do the reconciliation seal, but my opponents are out cold sensei," I told him sheepishly scratching my head and giving off a goofy vibe.

Stunned silence greeted my words as everyone watched me in shock, amazement, wonder and various other expressions portrayed in their face. The Naras were the only ones who were relatively unfazed. Soyoto had one eye open and one eye closed, probably trying to doze off. Neuki's eyes were wide open and it looked like he was committing my second lesson to his memory.

Harami, though, was grinning so wide with her teeth blazing brilliantly. I half-wondered whether her mouth won't hurt because of her wide grin. She waved at me and I nodded back. I turned my attention towards Ayako sensei who was looking at me like he was seeing me for the first time. Seriously, was the man so inept to understand that I had been holding back during all the Taijutsu classes? He looked as if he didn't believe his eyes.

"Danzo sama was right…" he muttered causing my heart to freeze.

The wide smile I had, froze in place. So, it was his machinization. I should have noted Ayako sensei's unusual interest in me today. I had been distracted by other things that I had failed to notice it. In the end, I had fallen for it hook, line and sinker. Not that the Uchihas made it any difficult. Kami if the Uchihas were this easy to manipulate, then it was no wonder Danzo ran circles around them in the original timeline.

A shuffle from the other side of the circle caused both me and Ayako sensei to turn our eyes towards the source. Hiromi Hyuga stepped into the circle and bowed towards Ayako sensei.

Now what?

"I would like to challenge Hatorama Senju san for my spot at the top of academy Taijutsu rankings sensei," Hiromi Hyuga said pleasantly but with purpose.

Like hell you will you vein-eyed freak! You see, unlike Fujita, Hiromi had already activated his dojutsu.

I distinctly heard Harami laughing amidst the multiple whispers that were permeating the class. I wanted to throttle her. I hoped that Ayako sensei refused. But, looking at the man I realized that it was a vain hope.

"Alright,"

As expected. Why can't I catch a break?

I turned towards Hiromi and sighed. I flashed him a fake smile and looked at Ayako sensei before stating out loud.

"I concede,"

The whispers doubled and I distinctly heard Harami saying to someone near her "I told you he would refuse."

Oh! How I wanted to throttle that little witch!

I saw Ayako sensei's eyes twitch and his lips thinned once more. He muttered something under his breath before looking at me and narrowing his eyes.

"You will accept the challenge and fight for the spot. Or else, I will fail you in the Taijutsu portion of the examination. As the proctor of this examination, my words are final," he stated firmly.

I sighed in dejection. This is why I didn't want to showcase my talents to the class. Now, the Hyuga is feeling insecure and he wants to prove his worth. Why can't people just walk off? What's with all this fixation on waving their dicks?

I could refuse and fail the Taijutsu portion of the exam. But it would be hard to explain to Biwako. While Hiruzen would understand, Biwako would be absolutely livid. And having a livid Biwako roaming the same halls I am living in was a scary proposition.

I turned towards Hiromi and bowed to him before taking my taijutsu stance. I was careful now. I have seen Hiromi fight. He was a league above others in the class. His gentle fist technique was a nightmare. I would normally fake a performance and walk back, but I can't do that now.

I eyed him warily and watched him shift into his stance. Hiromi was the type of fighter I really didn't want to be pitted against. Patient, unmovable, strong defense and deadly offense. A scary combination if one existed. He wouldn't rush at me like Fujita. He would wait for me to attack him.

"Byakugan"

Veins popped out of Hiromi's eyes and I could feel him take my entire being into account. I felt strangely vulnerable knowing that he can look at my tenketsu points. What is it with my opponents today? One with freaky eyes that would only improve as his Sharingan awoke and another with Byakugan.

Damn eyeballs. Looks like that complex is definitely gonna build up.

As I watched Hiromi, I saw a frown appear on his face. He backed out of his stance and looked at me once more before speaking.

"You have chakra weights?" It was not a question, a statement.

"Yes," I didn't bother denying it.

It was not as if it is going to stay a secret for a long time.

"Can you undo them?" he asked.

"No can do, princess," I said a little jovially.

"Then I retract my challenge. I will not fight you with a handicap," he said and bowed to sensei before walking back to his spot.

Huh, that certainly simplifies things. Who knew chakra weights could come in handy like this huh?

The ninjutsu portion of the exam was a breeze. It wouldn't have been that memorable if not for the fact that we were left to wait for a long time as Ayako sensei called us one by one according to the roll call. And in typical Japanese fashion, the last name came first and that led to a few awkward moments.

The names Senju and Uchiha were left to last as people from other clans and even civilian kids were called in before us. That left me in a roomful of angry Uchihas who were shooting dark glares at me. Honestly, from the way those dickheads acted, an onlooker would think I was the troublesome one. Kami! I even tried to walk out on the spar. Not that it helped either.

At last, Ayako sensei called my name and I promptly left the room leaving behind the Uchihas to smart over in my absence.

When I entered the room, Ayako sensei motioned me to the middle and asked me to perform the three basic elementary jutsus. I substituted with a pot of plant in the room and almost lost my balance on the thin spot it was residing in previously.

The clone I produced was both perfect and bland. There wasn't any personality to it. It was just a chakra construct and it wouldn't even fool an academy student. I mentally noted to research a better clone technique as I felt that this would only get me killed.

When the time came to perform a Henge, I transformed into Ayako sensei. For a second I thought of transforming into Danzo just to see how Ayako sensei reacted but scrapped that idea as a cynical part of me said that it would only assert Danzo's connection with me more and thus leading Danzo to believe that I liked him or something.

When all three jutsus were finished, Ayako sensei didn't hand me my hitaite immediately. He eyed me critically, with a look of reluctance on his face. But, soon his face turned into one of resolve as he spoke to me.

"Hatorama kun, do you know any other ninjutsu. I can give you extra credits for it and it will sure come in handy," he asked me gently.

Over my dead body, you bastard.

I may have fallen for your shenanigans during the Taijutsu exam but I am definitely not falling for any more of it. I was sure that whatever I did, will be reported to Danzo. I didn't want that man to have an accurate gauge on my skills. I have already slipped up in the Taijutsu department.

"Forgive me sensei, I only know the three basic ninjutsu," I said without batting an eye.

"I see. Regardless, your grasp on the three academy ninjutsu is good. I think I can make an exception and pass you. Though you have to remember that you have only barely passed – thanks to your Taijutsu. it is good enough for you to pass," he said holding out a hitaite.

A load of bull. But, I didn't make much deal about it. I reached out and grabbed the hitaite bowing to him.

"Good luck, Hatorama kun. Don't be late for your team assignment next week" he called out as I exited the room.


	18. Chapter 18 - Inheritance

When I returned home from the academy with the hitaite in my grasp, the proud smile Biwako gave me was more than welcoming. She hugged me hard and planted a kiss on my forehead. A warm feeling of accomplishment and belonging went through me at her actions.

It was kinda weird – especially the belonging part. While no one in the Sarutobi household had made me feel uncomfortable or unwelcome at any point in my life, I had always felt as if there was some gap between them and me. I know it was mostly my mind that was imagining things – how could I ever doubt the kind love Biwako showered on me unconditionally or Asuma's companionship in my earlier years here – but still, that was the first time I was completely devoid of any such lingering doubts and insecurities.

As for the accomplishment, I felt childish to feel so. Graduating from the academy was never a hurdle for me. But still, I had taken the official first step towards my dream of being an S-ranked ninja. A small part in the back of my mind whispered that it meant that I would now participate in the war. But, I pushed it back. This was not the time for brooding.

The dinner that night was a rambunctious affair. Asuma had brought along his teammates and they regaled us of their exemplary actions as a genin. The way they hyped up D-rank missions was so cute to watch. If I had not seen what D-ranks were in the series, I would have definitely fallen prey to it. Instead, I merely nodded eagerly and listened to them attentively. All the while, Biwako was watching us with a smile on her face.

It was a fun affair. Until Hiruzen stepped into the house.

Even when he was smiling genially, I saw Asuma's teammates bend over backward to impress him. Ever the kind guy, Hiruzen listened to them attentively. But, now the good-natured ribbing was gone. It was like they were sucking up to him. And Asuma's strained smile spoke volumes on his mood. It didn't escape Biwako's notice either.

Soon, Asuma's teammates were gently ushered out by her stating that I would like to spend some time alone with family. I didn't mind her using me as an excuse. Asuma was becoming more and more grumpier as time passed and I didn't want Hiruzen's Hokage title to ruin this day ultimately.

There was an awkward silence filling the table as me, Hiruzen and Asuma sat watching each other, while Biwako ushered Asuma's teammates outside in her gentle manner. The silence was becoming stifling and I fidgeted in my chair. Hiruzen had a somewhat pained look on his face. I think he understood that Asuma was not dealing well with the fact that his father would always be Hokage to the others. But, there was nothing that could be done about it.

I hoped that Asuma accepted that fact and dealt with it accordingly. But, the strain on the relationship between them was becoming more and more clear to any onlookers. Unable to digest the silence any longer, I injected my chakra into the glass of water before me and sent the water splashing down on Asuma's head.

The indignant squeak and the gentle laughter that followed it broke the tension in the room pretty fast. Asuma scowled at me and I had to duck to avoid spoon that was thrown at me with uncanny accuracy. He immediately followed it with splashing his water in my face while I raised my head.

So, it took a moment for Biwako to get over her surprise when she returned to find two wet, dripping boys smiling at each other maniacally. In an unspoken agreement, me and Asuma decided to keep our fights for later. While Hiruzen may have been the Hokage, in the home he always took a backseat to Biwako when it came to raising us. Still, fooling around at dinner table in front of Biwako was a surefire way to get into trouble. And we both knew it well.

Biwako sent an admonishing look at us and Hiruzen was graced with a reproving look of his own. Hiruzen merely chuckled and raised his hands in defense. It was amusing to watch the Hokage act like that. I and Asuma giggled earning another scathing look from Biwako.

"Well, Hato kun, I heard that you passed your graduation with flying colors," Hiruzen spoke interrupting the lecture on its way.

I smiled proudly at him and puffed up my chest in an exaggerated manner, looking around the table self- importantly. Asuma giggled uncontrollably and Biwako scoffed in reply,

"As if he was going to have a problem with that," Biwako spoke fondly.

"True, true. Beating two Uchihas in a handicap spar is no small feat," Hiruzen praised me as he took a bite of the food Biwako had served him.

"Ahem… why was he fighting two Uchihas? Isn't he supposed to spar with the instructor?" Biwako's eyes narrowed dangerously making Hiruzen choke on his food.

"It was Ayako sensei's idea," I happily threw my sensei under the bus without an ounce of remorse.

Biwako's eyebrows arched, "I see."

"Now, now, Biwako, the man is Hatorama's homeroom sensei. He would know how to test his students," Hiruzen came to my sensei's defense.

Biwako snorted in reply, however, she didn't contradict him. Biwako never contradicted Hiruzen in front of others – even her kids and me. But, from Biwako's face, I knew she and Ayako sensei are going to have some words when they met next time. And all I could hope at that moment was to be there when Biwako laid into Ayako sensei.

Hiruzen finished his dinner and we all retired to the hall. Biwako directed me to the table in the corner where a pile of presents was present. Asuma gave me a kunai holster, my own brand new shogi set from Shikako, a scroll containing advanced fuinjutsu theory from Kushina and even Orochimaru had given me a set of scrolls on chakra theory. There were a few other gifts also.

However, I did notice that three people had not given me anything. While I was content with the presents I had received, it did seem that three people had not given me anything.

One – I understood completely. Tsunade wouldn't have known that I will be graduating this early. And hence it was understandable that she didn't gift me anything. Usually, she gifted me with some random item through a courier a month before my birthday. I had been saving all of the gifts I received from her after I was old enough to receive them by myself, in a special box.

But, the other two were what stood out. Hiruzen and Biwako and Danzo. To be honest, Danzo's was the one I was noticing the most. It seemed uncharacteristic of him. And I was sure that he would have gotten the news by now, perhaps even before Hiruzen. And considering how resourceful he was, I couldn't help but notice that his gift was missing. Oddly, it bothered me.

I banished that thought to the back of my mind and giddily eyed the presents. Asuma was looking at the chakra theory scroll with a concentrated look on his face as I pursued my other gifts. There were few interesting items like a scroll on various weapons suited for a genin, even the ones that most people abhorred, a set of senbon, a set of explosive seals and such.

"Hato kun," Biwako's voice interrupted my perusal.

Asuma looked up from beside me. Biwako and Hiruzen were standing before us. Biwako with a kind smile and Hiruzen with a proud expression. I exchanged a look with Asuma who shrugged his shoulders in reply stating he had no clue what the couple had cooked up for me. Biwako stretched her hands and presented a box to me.

As I took it, Biwako's hands tightened over the box minutely. Growing up in a ninja household, it didn't miss it. Somehow it felt to me like Biwako didn't want me to take it for a moment. Hiruzen placed a hand on Biwako's shoulders and her grip loosened. I looked around to find Asuma staring at the box with a frown on his face. From the looks of it, even Asuma didn't miss it.

Biwako let out a huge sigh and tried to speak, but no words came out of her. Hiruzen stepped in calmly.

"This is our present for your graduation. Go on, open it."

I was wary by now. If Biwako was genuinely worried enough about something to let it affect her this much, I didn't know whether I wanted it or not. Yet, Hiruzen was expecting me to open it and I couldn't procrastinate much.

So, reluctantly, I pried open the box. It was ornately made. It looked more like a family heirloom and I was sure it was one of a kind. The artistry done over it was exquisite. But, my mind barely noted all these. My eyes were only for the sleek object inside it.

It was a key. While it looked normal, the engravings on it were something akin to seals. The design was unique too. It was short compared to most keys of that kind. Yet, there was a magnificence to its finish. Asuma let out a gasp of admiration beside me. I looked at him and found no answer as to what this key did. He was merely admiring the workmanship.

So, I turned to the persons who presented it.

"That key, is the key to your ancestral home. The Senju house. It has been under my watch ever since hime left. We think it is a fitting gift for your graduation. By the village laws, a genin is a proper adult. And it is only fitting that you receive this gift now."

Hiruzen explained. Asuma let out a breath of excitement near me. He eagerly peeked over my shoulders. The Senju ancestral home was one of the famous things in this village. The house in which not one but two Hokages lived in was almost like a monument in the village where there is no more Senju left. Also, it was the ancestral home of one of the four founding clans of the village. So, it was understandable that Asuma was excited to see it.

I passed the box to Asuma for him to have a good look. However, my eyes were fixed at the only person, apart from me, who hadn't made a sound from the moment the box was revealed. Biwako was not looking at me. Her face was turned and her body looked tensed. I eyed her for a few more moments hoping to see some kind of reaction from her.

Hiruzen looked at me quizzically. In all honesty, a child who was given the key to his ancestral home must be rejoicing. However, I neither was a child nor was I enamored by the fame of the Senju household. I knew that the key wouldn't go anywhere. It was mine to keep hold off. But, Biwako was being uncharacteristically silent.

That was the only thing that had my attention as of this moment. I gave Hiruzen a strained smile and turned away from the moment. It was clear that Biwako wasn't happy with that key. It had somehow upset her. For a moment, I thought of returning it to them. If this simple key was going to put a distance between one of the few people who cared me, I didn't know if I should use it. But, why would this key upset her?

And then it hit me.

The moment the thought came to my mind, my body moved unconsciously. I walked towards Biwako and hugged her tightly. I let her know all the love I had for her through my hug. Initially, my hug took her off-guard. She hesitated to do anything about it. Then, hesitantly, her arms wrapped around me.

"Does it mean I have to stay away from you Biwako san?" I asked as innocently as possible with my best puppy dog expression.

A shudder went through her and the answering smile she gave me was brilliant.

"No, Hato kun, you can stay with me as long as you want," she said ruffling my hair.

The tension and uncertainty in her were gone. And her eyes were tearing up. I smiled in return and hugged her more. She returned the hug happily.

"Why does Hatorama have to leave because of this key?" Asuma's confused voice broke through our shared moment eliciting a chuckle from Biwako.

Asuma was looking at the key with suspicion now. Hiruzen, for his part, looked entirely amused by the situation.

"No, Asuma kun, Hato kun is being silly," she patted my head and replied.

"Dobe," Asuma scowled at me.

I stuck my tongue out in a mature reply. Biwako moved before our bickering could escalate. She took the box from Asuma's hand and gave it to me. This time there was no hesitation in her to give me the key.

I smiled and accepted the key.

"So, Hato kun, want to see your ancestral home?" Biwako asked with an amused twinkle in her eyes.

And all I could do was nod.

 **(*****)**

"It is... so clean," I said at last as we entered my ancestral home.

Asuma made a sound as if he agreed with my statement, as we both looked around the big hall.

"Of course silly, you didn't think I will let Mito sama's home to go dirty, did you?"

"I thought it was mine," I said half-heartedly earning a swat on the head from Biwako.

"Behave," she admonished me.

I smiled in reply.

The house was huge. It was no wonder, they had closed it. It would be a nightmare to maintain alone. I was grateful that Biwako had been keeping it clean. If not, I might have to possibly spend the rest of my week here, cleaning the dirt accumulated.

The house could easily house up to three to four families comfortably and have space to spare. There were around five bedrooms and three drawing rooms. The entrance hall was big enough to hold council meetings. I wondered whether it was the original purpose of the hall.

Me and Asuma had dashed off earlier to explore rest of the house as Hiruzen and Biwako chose to stay in the entrance hall.

"Hatorama! Hatorama!" Asuma motioned me to come over from the end of a corridor.

I hastened to his side to find him standing before a door which was sealed. The seal was unlike anything I had seen. It intrigued me.

"Do you know what kind of seal is this?" Asuma asked.

"No idea… this is something different. It looks like Ushigakure work. Probably done by Mito sama."

"Oh," Asuma sounded dejected. "I wanted to see what's sealed in. Can you unseal it?"

"No, at least not now. It would take me some days to decipher it. This one looks so complicated it is not even funny. Look at this, there looks to be multiple layers of seals barring entrance. And those lines, they are the traps. I don't know what will happen, but in my experience, anything sealed with this much traps is highly dangerous,"

"Oh,"

"Yeah. And I am sure, it would even take Kushina nee a few hours to undo all these seals without a proper key,"

"Even she wouldn't be unable to unseal this without the proper key," Biwako's voice sounded behind us causing us to jump.

"That hall contains all the known jutsus the Senju had created and used," Hiruzen stated mildly as he stepped into the corridor carrying a large scroll.

"All the jutsus the Senju clan had used?" I asked sounding excited, "How to unseal it?"

"No, you will not be unsealing it. The only person who can unseal it is hime and until she sees fit to return and hand over the techniques to you, I am afraid you will not be getting into that room. However, Tsunade had left me with a few scrolls for you to inherit," Hiruzen added on seeing my crestfallen expression.

I perked up at the mention of new jutsus.

"Here, consider this as your graduation present from your cousin," Hiruzen handed me the large scroll he was carrying.

As I took the scroll, my mind ran through the large volume of jutsus a scroll this big could house. Usually, jutsu scrolls were short. However, a large collection of jutsus were recorded in a single scroll making them appear huge. And the scroll in my hand was one such. The eager grin I sported was so wide that Hiruzen raised a finger to caution me, before I could run off with it.

"I am afraid, this is not a normal jutsu scroll as you are thinking Hato kun. But, if you invest your time, I am sure this scroll will help you down the road."

The confused expression that dawned on my face was telling and Biwako clicked her tongue.

"Maybe, you should let him open it before you confuse him any more," Biwako said to Hiruzen, "Come Asuma, let's leave them to it."

Asuma was initially reluctant to leave. However, he couldn't do much under Biwako's pointed look. Once they were gone, I turned to Hiruzen to ask for an explanation. After studying fuinjutsu, I have come to regard scrolls with a wary respect. One doesn't what a scroll contains. All it would take is unwittingly springing the trap if in case something of the kind was there. But, I was sure Hiruzen wouldn't give me anything that was potentially dangerous.

"Come, let's move outside."

I followed Hiruzen to the large garden outside of the house. Similar to the house, it has also been tended to by Biwako. Once we were a distance away from the house, Hiruzen motioned me to hand over the scroll.

"This," Hiruzen spoke taking the scroll from me, "is a summoning contract owned by the Senju clan. It has been in your clan for a long time."

I perked up at the mentioning of the infamous summoning jutsu. Hiruzen opened the scroll and motioned me to move closer.

"Normally, you would have been introduced to the summoning clan by a previous holder of the contract. But, considering that you are the last Senju in this village and Tsunade hadn't signed this contract, I think we might have to take a chance here."

"The summoning contract creates a bond between the summoner and his summon clan. However, even if a shinobi accidentally comes across a summoning contract and signs it, the final say rests with the summon clan. They choose who they will allow to summon them. They can negate your signing if they felt you aren't the right person to hold their contract. So, we will take a chance and see if the clan sees you as a person fit to represent them and use them, shall we?"

I bit my finger and signed in the space he showed. There were a few names before mine. None of them were familiar to me. I searched for either my grandfather's or Hashirama's name only to come up empty. However, there was one name that wriggled in my mind. I felt like I should be able to remember it, but somehow I couldn't.

"Now, perform these hand seals," Hiruzen motioned to me breaking me from my thought.

I followed his lead and let my chakra flow through as I performed the summoning jutsu. With a huge puff of smoke, a giant lizard popped into existence a few feet away from me. It looked down at me nastily and I gulped. It was a huge salamander lizard. And finally, it came to my mind why that name looked familiar.

 **Hanzo. Hanzo the Salamander.**

I sighed in dejection. A salamander huh? Figures, of all the beings my clan could have made a contract with, they made it with the salamanders. Don't get me wrong. I am not knocking down Salamanders. They are great beasts. However, they are fire elemental beasts. And I was water natured. I already knew how this was going to end. Fire and Water, just great!

"Who are you young runt? How did you summon me?"

The baritone in its voice was really strong. I cringed thinking that this was already going off-rails. Luckily, Hiruzen stepped in at that precise moment.

"Forgive me, Anakin san," the salamander whipped his head and noticed Hiruzen for the first time, "It was I who gave him the means to summon you. That young one is the last living descendant of the Senju clan. Considering your illustrious friendship with them, I thought you might find the boy to your liking."

Anakin, the salamander, considered his words and nodded his head.

"Hiruzen, isn't it? You are contracted with that filthy monkey, Enma," if the salamander could have made a disgusting face, it would have definitely made it. There was enough distaste in its voice alone to stiffen Hiruzen's back.

"The last time I saw you, you were this runt's size. How times have changed! I heard that your village has two contractors from Mount Myoboku. The last time I visited Pa, he was bragging about them. Of course, we have Hanzo. But, the man is becoming a huge pain of late. And he only prefers the poisonous types. A Senju heir huh? Let's see if he has his forefathers' skill."

Anakin turned his head and took a long sniff at me. Immediately, he let out a snort and whipped his face towards Hiruzen. Of course, he would be able to sniff out my element. What was Hiruzen thinking? I let out a dejected sigh preparing to hand over the contract back. However, Anakin's next statement startled me.

"Hiruzen, leave. I wish to talk to the young one here alone," Anakin rumbled.

Hiruzen hesitated for a moment, before nodding his head and leaving me alone with the giant salamander breathing down at me. Once Hiruzen was gone, the salamander looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"You smell far older than how you look," it said bluntly.

My face paled in reaction to that statement. I gripped my fingers tightly holding in the urge to flee. I nervously looked around to see if anyone else was in the hearing vicinity, not that it mattered. If anyone wanted to eavesdrop, they could do it from a considerable distance and I wouldn't even see them.

"I don't understand what you are saying Anakin sama," I replied nervously.

Anakin didn't buy it though. I saw his eyes narrow and he started at me dangerously. However, I held on to my story. Him figuring out is one thing, me outright saying is another.

"A reborn soul. Don't think I can't see it, runt. How interesting?" he started moving around me taking me in from all directions, "but, not a single taint. No, no. he wasn't pulled here. The soul had merely slipped dimensions. It occasionally happens. But, it is an unusual occurrence. Why here and why now? That's the question that needs answering."

The giant salamander started mumbling to himself as he circled me. It was a scary experience. The lizard was truly big and I couldn't help but notice how huge its legs were. Chances were that he could easily crush me underfoot.

"Well," Anakin announced after some time, "I have decided."

I looked up to him curious as to what his answer would be. Initially, I was sure he would reject me. However, his reaction to my rebirth had sown some doubts into me. If he was really interested, he would not reject me outright. So, now I was really eager to hear his answer.

"I will allow you to be our summoner," he said causing my happiness to erupt, "however, I do have some requirements. You will train two younglings of my congress. You will care for them as your own and you will treat them like the warriors they are. If I hear that you are using my younglings to deliver messages or something other than fighting, I will rip your head off. However, if they wish, they may assist you. Only on their discretion. Just because you signed a summoning contract with us, we are not beholden to do your dirty deeds. We are warriors, young one. Do not ever forget that."

The way Anakin stressed about how I used his congress made one thing clear to me. I was way over my head when it came to this contract.

"I will be glad to train them, Anakin sama."

Anakin merely grunted in reply. He let out his tongue and I watched it expand and snatch the summoning scroll from the ground.

"I will hold on to this. Seeing how puny you are, I don't trust this in your possession," he said bluntly swallowing the scroll into his mouth. "However, don't think you will not be getting any benefits. In return for training younglings of my congress, you will receive some benefits. The contract allows our clan to provide you with such things."

"May I ask what those will be?"

"One, your regeneration rate will improve. It is an attribute all our summoners hold. But, don't expect it to happen this moment. The improvement will come with time and connection. As of now, there is only potential for improvement. Also, you can summon one of our warriors if you are in a dire situation. However, be warned, we are not like the Toads or some of the other summon clans. If we feel that you have summoned us for nothing, we will kill you ourselves."

I could only gulp at that statement. Why the hell did my clan make a contract with such a summon clan. Compared to the slugs and toads that were summoned in the series, this clan seemed to be a bit hard to manage.

"We are warriors, young one. If you summon us, you better have a fight for us. Or else…."

He didn't need to finish the threat. I understood it all too well.

"If that is all, I will be leaving," Anakin said and eyed me for any last questions.

"Why?" the question blurted out of me before I could stop myself, "Why me? I mean, my chakra nature is water. And…." I asked the one question that had been bugging me ever since Anakin told me that he would accept me.

"And?" his voice was brusque.

"And you are a fire elemental being," I finished lamely.

He eyed me for a few moments before speaking, "It is true that we prefer fire natured shinobi. However, that is not the only requirement. Unlike other lizards, we are amphibians. We can fight both on water and land. Being a water natured shinobi you are one of the few who can help us fight with our full potential. Also, you are a reborn soul. But, even if you are of other chakra nature I would have accepted you solely based on your rebirth."

"Based on my rebirth?" I asked in confusion.

I really didn't know how my rebirth connected to their clan.

"Phoenixes are not the only beings who are connected to rebirth," Anakin said confusing me further.

When I looked at him eagerly for an answer, he, however, didn't elaborate. He clucked his tongue twice and two pops sounded. Two miniature versions of him appeared before us from the smoke and they looked at me confusedly before turning towards Anakin. They bowed their heads low and Anakin merely nodded back.

"You two will be trained by this young one here. Learn how to fight with a human. You two are the best hopes for our clan's future. Make me proud," he stated to them and popped away leaving me alone with the two younglings.

We stared at each other for a few minutes as the time passed in silence. As I looked at them, my mind started cataloging what I knew about salamanders.

Salamanders are amphibians who could live both in water and land. That made them an ideal summoning animal for me. This way, I wouldn't be at a handicap while battling on water. But, unlike Toads, they preferred to live on land. And they were fire elemental beings. They can live in fire. They had incredible regeneration powers which it seems the contract had passed over to me as well. But, nothing I remembered linked them to rebirth. Maybe, it was different in this world.

The salamanders, for their part, were eyeing me in return. It was as if they were calculating how good of a trainer I will be. In the end, the salamander with yellow spots on its blue skin broke the silence.

"Hi, I am Mizoka, and this idiot here is Chikyuhanta," she pointed at the brown one with black stripes, "Please take care of us."

"Hi, I am Hatorama Senju, please take care of me." I greeted in return.

(*****)

AN: I was looking at amphibious animals to find a suitable summon animal for Hatorama when I came across Salamanders. Since it was already established that a salamander summoning clan existed, I thought it would be interesting to put my own spin on it. Hope you guys like it. Also, in some symbolism, Salamanders are associated with rebirth.

Anakin - warrior.

Mizoka - Mizu(water) U-oka (walker)

Chikyuhanta – Chikyu (earth) Hanta (hunter)


	19. Chapter 19 - Teammates

**A/N** : Hi, I have done something different in this chapter. By no means, it is new. Just have branched out a little. I thought it would add more meat to the story at this point. Let me know what you think of the change.

Also, belated Diwali wishes to anyone who celebrates it. It is the reason this chapter is so late... But, don't worry i have written a meaty chapter which would influence events far later in this story. So, keep an eye open for finer details.

Enjoy!!!

The following week passed without any major occurrence. I devoted my time in visiting the Konoha library and researching on water natured jutsus. While I yearned to learn more cool jutsus that wowed people, I reluctantly restricted myself to D-rank and C-rank jutsus. No that the library was fully open to me. Only the genin section was open to me.

After much deliberation, the jutsu I decided to settle with was the Water Clone technique. After much careful consideration, I had decided that the jutsu would suit perfectly for my fighting style. As of now, I wasn't much of a ninjutsu user. My main strong suit was Taijutsu. Learning Water Clone technique would not only help me improve it, but also provide me an escape route. Combined with the Hidden Mist jutsu, I can easily use this jutsu to make my escape out of some tricky situations.

Seriously, the bunshin technique that they taught in academy was utter shit. The main reason for the academy to teach those three jutsu was the fact that they can be used to escape tricky situations. Considering genin can do nothing impactful while facing experienced shinobi, it was thoughtful of them to teach that. But, the bunshin jutsu was really lame.

So, I set myself to first rectify that.

Daily, I arrived in the library early and perused water nature techniques to just know what they were, before exiting to go and practice the Water Clone technique. For the first three days, everything was peaceful. And I was rather enjoying the downtime.

On the fourth day however, I returned to find a set of water natured C-rank jutsus waiting for me in my room. Considering how I had kept my mastering of converting normal chakra into water natured chakra hidden from Hiruzen, I didn't think he would have left me these techniques. Even if he somehow knew, Hiruzen and Biwako had made their stance on teaching me jutsus clear enough for me.

So, that only left one option. I knew a certain someone was really invested in my progress and I haven't yet received a graduation gift from that someone. I also knew he had some sneaky shinobis working for him. And it would be perfectly logical for him to do so.

As I sat there watching the bunch of scrolls left for me, I could feel myself itching to just take it and peruse it. It was sorely tempting. I didn't know what to feel at that moment. Gratitude should have been the common emotion combined with joy at this point. However, I merely felt wary.

To a shinobi, jutsus were like lifelines. The more you have in your arsenal, the better the chance for survival. And obtaining full information on jutsus were very hard. Shinobis didn't share their jutsus willy ninny. And justifiably finding a bunch of jutsu scrolls tailor made for my affinity mere days after I was refused access to all the Senju clan jutsus made my hair stand on edge.

Danzo surely knew what these techniques meant to me. Even though I wanted to accept the gift and learn the techniques given to me, inwardly I was afraid what it might signal. Will Danzo take this as an indication to me being slowly swayed to his side. Or was it a mere graduation gift. It was confusing to me. Of all the things Danzo was known for, being free with techniques was not one. However, he was a man who understood the darker side of being a shinobi more than anyone and he definitely knew how to bring young shinobis under his fold.

In the end, I merely kept them aside for now. I didn't know when I would need these things. It would be foolish to ditch jutsu scrolls. They are rare and really important. A part of me desperately wanted to learn the techniques. And I was afraid of that part of me in my mind.

The next thing worthy of mention happened on the sixth day after noon. I returned from library to find Haruko sitting with Biwako. Haruko was Asuma's elder brother. I had always viewed him in my mind as Konohamaru's father. While he hadn't been a constant presence in my life, he was a familiar face.

Haruo had moved out of the house after finding an apartment shortly after Biwako and Hiruzen had taken me in. He was in the anbu corps. So, naturally he came by rarely and when missions allowed it. I never tried to integrate myself while he was around. For him, I was not a family. And I wanted Biwako and Hiruzen to have what little time they had for their son.

While I knew he would die soon, probably sometime after the Kyubi incident, I didn't know how his death came about. Anyhow, his relationship with Hiruzen and Biwako was strained enough as it is. It didn't need me complicating matters. Whenever I was around, Haruko always had his guard up. So, I preferred to stay away from him as much as possible.

Haruko had married a fellow anbu despite Biwako's protests and it was already putting a strain on their familial bindings. I had rarely seen Haruko's wife in the compound. She only dropped by for important clan business and festivals. I didn't even remember her name.

As I stepped into the house, Haruko and Biwako looked up at me. Haruko didn't say anything. He looked even more gloomier than he usually was. Biwako's welcoming smile was strained. I understood that they were discussing something serious and bowed out of the hall towards my room.

Still, I couldn't curb my curiosity. After all, Biwako was always warm and welcoming when anyone came home. For her to be so out of character must mean some serious stuff had happened. So, as the sneaky little bastard I was, I sneaked around the house and came upon the window overlooking the gardens from the hall. I gently eased some chakra into my ears to enhance my hearing.

"… you shouldn't blame yourself Haruko kun," Biwako's voice was subdued.

"I know. It is not something new. Its just… just that… they were with me for… so long. I was responsible for all of them. Losing someone is…."

"I understand. Have you told her?"

I knew who she meant. Biwako never used the name of Haruko's wife. It was always her, she and the like. And when she thought that no one was in the vicinity, it would be that skank, that vermin and stuff like that.

"No,… He was like a brother to her, she will be devastated."

"She deserves to hear it from you,"

Biwako may be little bitter towards Haruko's wife. But, in the end, she was a compassionate woman. It was one of the qualities about Biwako I liked much.

"I should get going. I better tell her before someone blabs about it,"

Biwako nodded raising up.

"I heard he graduated."

Haruko dragged me in suddenly. I didn't know why he did it, but the way Biwako stiffened told me she wasn't as happy about my graduation as she let on.

"Don't worry mother. They will assign them D-ranks only in the beginning."

"Its this war," Biwako sighed. "Its making me anxious. And he is not even ten. With his family name, they would send him to the front line. At least, Asuma will only be doing courier missions. But him…"

"I will talk to father. He is the last of Senju. It wouldn't be prudent to put him in the frontlines,"

"It is not as if your father wants him on the frontlines. It's the others. He can only put them off for so long,"

Haruko merely nodded, because even I knew there was no reply to it. It was the truth. There is no hiding it.

"Danzo?" he asked.

"No, no. Surprisingly Danzo isn't keen on letting him enter the battlefield either," Biwako spoke as if she couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth.

It stunned me too. If I hadn't heard Biwako speak, I definitely would have chalked it upto Danzo's shenanigans. But, why would Danzo not want me to enter the battlefield? For a moment, I sat there confused.

"We will survive mother, " Haruko's voice brought me back to the present, "we will survive," he hugged her one last time and made his way outside.

The moment he left, I was sprinting back to my room. My mind raced as I reached the room. Now, it made perfect sense why Biwako and Hiruzen refused to teach me. They didn't want me to look capable. With my blood, showing a little amount of promise is enough to cause problems. The same went for Danzo. He was worried about others forcing me to the frontlines. But, as he usually did, he was trying to prepare me for it in his own way. It dawned on me that was what the scrolls were for.

While all of them were worried about me being on the frontlines, they both showed different approach to the problem. In character, Hiruzen and Biwako tried to postpone it from ever happening. They were emotional people. But, Danzo was a rational man. He knew that it was going to happen no matter what. So, instead of postponing, he was preparing me.

I didn't know how to feel about it. But, that nagging worry I always had when I saw the scrolls in the last two days was gone now. Now that I knew his intention, it didn't scare me that much anymore.

I walked into the academy in high spirits on the day of my team assignment. Even the adult in me was eager to know who my teammates were. After all, it was said that one's genin teammates will always become trusted friends down the line. And friends were something I could do with considering that I will be shipped to war in one or two years. And I was early too.

Some part of me felt that it would be ridiculous to even pretend bored when one – I was obviously excited and two – I had already revealed that I was not a pushover. So, I marched into the academy for team placements with a big smile on my face.

As I entered the hall, there were several other kids from various classrooms waiting for the teacher to come in and announce their teammates. And the excitement in the air was infectious. I merely smiled at the eagerness they had, which resonated in me, and went on to take one of the corner seats in the far corner of the hall.

It took some time, but eventually the hall was filled with graduating genins who were waiting for team placement. There were three other classes along with mine that were being pushed to graduate this turn. But, when I looked around I could see that were only half of the graduates left in the hall. Considering that kids who showed promise were called in for various departments straightaway due to war efforts, I thought it was a reasonable amount.

And I knew deep down more than two third of the graduates will be sent to Genin Corps. And most probably they would have been already chosen by now. They wouldn't want someone talented to be wasting in Genin Corps. It was unfair, but pragmatic in all the senses. After all, someone has to do the menial jobs. If they weren't good at killing people, it is better that they stayed in the background. But considering it was war time, I didn't think they will stand in the background for long.

Ayako sensei walked in with two other men and they surveyed the graduates majestically from the stage. After a short congratulatory speech which stressed the importance of teamwork and teammates, the team assignment began.

It was halfway through the list of graduates that my name was called.

"Team 27, Akimichi Roku, Senju Hatorama, Uchiha Fujita. Sensei, Mokurimo Tsuki."

Mokurimo…. Mokurimo was not a clan name. So, most probably the man was a clanless shinobi. Interesting… They have given the responsibility of watching over a Senju, an Uchiha and an Akimichi to him. That could only mean that the man was that good. Or it could be a political move. You could never guess what it was. But, in a way I felt it was a good thing since there wouldn't be any clan prejudices.

And as for my teammates, I wasn't surprised much. I had always known that I would be assigned to a team that would most probably be sent to the frontlines in future. So, it was only logical that I would be placed in a team with a lot of firepower. And it had come true literally.

As for the Akimichi girl, I was not sure why she was put in our team. Sure Akimichis were close range fighters, but first and foremost they were muscle power assigned to support intelligence gathering teams. It didn't make much sense to put her in a combat-oriented team that would most likely be sent to frontlines.

Nevertheless, it didn't matter much. I stood up from my seat and walked to the front. The Akimichi girl slowly got up from her seat and met me at the front of the classroom. We both exchanged a friendly smile. Considering that she was from a different class, I didn't have any idea about her. All my assumptions on her were based on the general details of her clan.

She looked large, with the usual Akimichi build, and had an easy smile on her face as we greeted each other. There was some hesitation in her body language that I attributed to meeting two new kids for the first time. Speaking of two kids, Fujita stomped his way towards us. The Akimichi girl gave him a friendly smile. In return, he just nodded in typical Uchiha fashion, barely a tilt of his head. When he saw me, he shot me a glare and grunted something unintelligible. I merely raised an eyebrow at his reaction.

A tall, sturdy built man with grey hair and brown eyes stepped out of the assembled Jounins to take charge of us. He didn't waste any words as he beckoned us to follow him. We three dutifully followed him out of the hall as we all made our way out of the academy.

For a few minutes silence existed among us as we exited the academy and made our way to a nearby training ground. The atmosphere during the walk was very awkward to be honest. Tsuki sensei didn't even bother to explain anything. While I was debating whether to initiate conversation with him or my other teammates, Fujita was walking sullenly beside me. The Akimichi girl, walked on my right. From the corner of my eyes I could see her nervously twiddling her fingers.

"Hi, I am Hatorama," I introduced myself to her to ease the awkwardness.

He face turned red and she struggled to look up at me. It alarmed me to see her nervousness increase and I mentally began to wonder if I had done anything wrong. Fujita was still sulking on the other side, so expecting a conversation out of him was out of the question. Our sensei was also walking a few steps ahead, so I didn't think he would interfere to reduce the awkwardness. Just when I was beginning to panic, Roku spoke.

"Hi, I am Akimichi Roku. Please take care of me," her voice was gruff and more manly than I imagined hers to be.

The moment the words came out of her mouth, she looked mighty uncomfortable. I heard Fujita snort beside me and the snort caused a flash of hurt to appear on Roku's face. I grimaced internally wondering whether I had made a blunder by initiating a conversation. Regardless, she had replied. Now, I need to keep the conversation going.

"Your favorite sweet?" I asked.

Food is always a safe topic with an Akimichi. I hoped it alleviated her nervousness. A look of surprise appeared on her face as she looked up at me. It was strange to see her surprised with my line of questioning. For a moment, I wondered whether I had once again committed a blunder.

"Arare," Roku replied a little shyly.

The disconnect between her voice and her expressions were like a huge chasm. While she looked cute and even cuddly in my opinion, her voice made it harder to think of her as cute. Regardless, I smiled and replied.

"Mine is Manju. Biwako san rarely makes it, but whenever she does it mostly ends up in my stomach."

"Which flavor?"

"Mizu"

"Ah, I like how it looks. But, I prefer Matcha."

"Hmmm"

"Arare are my most favorite. I like how they are varied and also very small," by now whatever shyness Roku had initially was gone. "I can keep eating them for a long time. But, papa says I shouldn't eat it a lot. Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to perform clan jutsus. It is so unfair…"

Roku began to chatter on and on about the various kinds of food she liked. It was soothing to hear her voice talk over inane things that were important to her. At the least, it removed the awkwardness in the air as we made our way to the training ground.

Tsuki sensei came to a stop in the middle of the training ground and made us sit in front of him. The earlier height disparity between us and him was more magnified by that. A stray thought flashed through my mind informing me that it is one of the tactics the adults often employed to assert their authority over kids. But, I didn't give it much thought. Rather, I watched Tsuki sensei as if he was a puzzle.

"I am Mokurimo Tsuki, your Jounin sensei from this day. I will be responsible for your training and development from here on until you all reach Chunin level. I have read through your files and have a basic understanding of you all. First, Uchiha Fujita,"

Fujita tensed up beside me.

"You favor Tai and Ninjutsu. Your academy scores on Taijutsu are good and use the traditional Uchiha style Taijutsu. You have fire affinity like most Uchiha. And you have high yin chakra as per your medical report. It will help you master genjutsu much faster, however, due to that your Ninjutsu will always be a little less effective. The power behind your ninjutsus will be less compared to others. My advice to you is to start concentrating more on genjutsu. However, it states in your file that you have an unhealthy obsession with ninjutsu and will always prefer it over others even when you know that your body isn't suited for it. Also, it is noted that you are short tempered and prone to use violence when an argument doesn't go your way."

The angry air surrounding Fujita was enough for me to understand that he didn't take to that kindly.

"Next, Akimichi Roku, your file states that you have an abundance of yang chakra. Even more so than other kids in your clan. This makes you more restless and has affected your voice to sound more manly. And understandably, you have a sore spot when it comes to your voice. You are prone to react violently if someone comments on your voice, but you are also insecure about that. You do not initiate conversations and you tend to avoid answering anyone fearing they might make fun of your voice. But, the upside of your abundance of your yang chakra is that, you are already proficient in the first level yang transformation your clan specializes in. Considering how Akimichis fight, your clan has high hopes for you."

I turned towards Roku to find her awkwardly fiddling with the seams of her dress. If she is already proficient in her clan transformation jutsu, it would explain why she was put in a combat oriented team.

"Lastly, Senju Hatorama," Tsuki sensei paused eyeing me critically. A strange bout of nervousness appeared within my gut, threatening to churn it out.

"The last Senju in Konoha, and frankly your file is rubbish. While it states that you have been trained by Danzo sama in etiquettes and negotiation tactics, you are considered to be lazy, apathetic, and sluggish by your peers. You have a tendency to take things lightly and have an easy going nature. You rarely react to any insults thrown your way and tend to avoid violence at all costs. You are average on all aspects of being a Shinobi. At least, that is what your file states. And I call that rubbish."

I looked up at him with a blank face.

"You both may wonder why I say that," he gestured to Fujita and Roku. "Because, the report I received from the academy and from the Hokage office do not match. As the last Senju residing in Konoha, his progress has been closely monitored for various reasons, both political and normal. The discrepancy between the two reports is so huge that one wonders why it is so."

"First, his academy scores are average at best. But, it is reported by the file in Hokage's office that his true potential is anything but average."

Tsuki sensei eyed me critically. I couldn't figure out what was running through his mind. Whether he was impressed with my deception or angered by it, his face had no clue regarding them. He eyed as if he was sizing up a potential target before speaking to me.

"Uchiha Fugaku, the Military Police Chief, notes that your chakra control is already at the level of low chunnin. Considering that it was a casual observation, he also suggests that it might already be at mid chunnin level. The final report filed in by Ayako states that, your taijutsu is at the minimum in low chunnin level. Nara Shikaku's reports on your intelligence state that you might as well be a prodigy that could rival Hatake Kakashi. Hokage and Danzo sama's notes say that you are passably proficient in fuinjutsu too,"

He stopped there taking some time for the enormity of the information discrepancy to sink in. Fujita was looking at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. Thankfully Roku wasn't giving me any suspicious looks.

"However, what interests me is that the huge discrepancy that is in both files. While discrepancies like these are not unheard of, the enormity raises some alarm in me. So, Hatorama kun, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

For a moment, it became very hard to breath. It felt as if there was something pressing down on me and I felt a compulsive need to come clean on everything I had. By everything, I meant, every damn secret I had been holding within me. And abruptly it vanished and I took a huge breath in.

I could feel sweat forming on my forehead and it was only then I realized that Tsuki sensei must have had to do something with that foreboding sensation I experienced. I eyed him for a few moments. It didn't look like the man would accept any half-assed answers. He had brought out my whole file for a reason.

As Danzo used to say to me, you can learn much about a questioner by the kind of question he asks. No one is going to waste prime interrogation time with useless questions. Every question they asked had an ulterior purpose to it. So, the question now was to determine what was the purpose of him bringing out all my data? What was he after? If I could find it, I can safely navigate out of this. But until then, giving any more information to him would only be detriment to me.

"Ah! Sensei, whatever you have said is true," I decided to go with a non-answer. "You seem to have a pretty good grasp on my skills."

This way, I am merely confirming him on anything that has been on the file. Even if I don't' confirm it would be true considering the sources of information. The thin line that resulted in my answer on his face was proof enough to me that he was not satisfied with my answer.

"Hatorama kun, I didn't ask for you to confirm what is in the file. I asked for you to state the reason for such a discrepancy."

"I was bored sensei," I shrugged in reply.

"So, you decided to create a mask, a smokescreen, a false image to mislead your superiors just because you were bored," his eyes bored into me as he uttered his statement sarcastically.

Now that he put it that way, it did look bad. While misleading my superiors was not my intention, I couldn't refuse that it is how my actions looked from his point of view.

"There was no harm done sensei," I replied cautiously.

"That, is not for you to decide," he stated in a hard tone that said that I needed to come up with a better reply.

It would be easy, I mean, it would be relatively easy to tell that I wanted to hide my strength. But, then again, the next question would be why I would do that. Seven-year-old kids are not expected to hide their strengths from others. In fact, they would normally seek approval of their skills. Continuing down that road will lead to more questions and in the end; it may even lead to heavy suspicion on me. I didn't want to travel there. That would land more scrutiny on me.

So, instead, I merely kept quiet. To speak truly, his last statement was not a question. While his tone implied that I better start spilling my beans, he didn't outright interrogate me. So, there must be something holding him back. Was he testing how I would hold up against his interrogation? I didn't know. Because, all my knowledge pointed to the fact that it was encouraged for shinobis to not share their true powers to anyone. But, here he was questioning on it. It didn't make much sense to me. So, I chose the safe option and remained quiet.

The silence lasted for a long time. In the end, once he determined that I wasn't going to spill my beans, he spoke again.

"In my experience, people who have things to hide and secret agendas are the ones that create masks in first place. These masks help them to navigate the shinobi world under the radar and do their deeds without raising suspicion. Tell me Hatorama kun, why do you feel the need to go under the radar? Why create a mask in the first place?"

In that moment, it became clear to me that Tsuki sensei was not going to let me off the hook that easily. He wanted an answer. And from the contemplative looks Roku and Fujita are giving me, the more this conversation went, the more it will be difficult for me to befriend them. With how Tsuki sensei was painting me, they would both be wary of me if this continued any longer. So, I gave him a half answer.

"Being the last Senju in Konoha has too many expectations sensei. Sometimes, it is better to remain under the radar."

Tsuki sensei didn't immediately reply. From the side of my eyes, I could see Fujita looking contemplative at my statement. Roku was also thinking on my statement. Good, this would keep them off my back for a few weeks at least. From now on, I need to be more careful as to what I say to Tsuki sensei.

In the end, Tsuki sensei let out a huge sigh.

"Remember Hatorama, this is a team. Any more of these secrets will only result in affecting the team dynamic. I expect you to be open with your teammates. Do you understand?"

"Yes sensei,"

"Good, now you are all dismissed. Meet me at the entrance to the Hokage tower tomorrow at 9. Off you go,"

"Thank you sensei," we all chorused.

Fujita left the moment we stepped out of the training ground. Roku hung back a little. I offered to get snacks from the dango shop down the street. Initially, her eyes lit up at the mention of the offer. However, a sudden hesitation flashed across her face making her falter in her agreement. She hastily brought up a brilliant smile and excused herself stating that she need to be back in her home.

If I had not spent this new life looking for cues from the minute facial expressions others let slip, I would have been fooled by it. However, I could see that whatever Tsuki sensei had told about me had made her hesitate. I cursed the man mentally for his tactless interrogation. While the reasons he had given me were genuine and completely understandable, I couldn't help but feel bitter towards him for his actions.

I let out a huge sigh and watched Roku disappear around the street with a heavy heart. I had been so happy and eager today to get to know my teammates. But, it looked like fate had different plans.

 **OMAKE**

Few hours ago….

Mokurimo Tsuki or Tsuki to his friends and associates walked with trepidation into Hokage's office. He didn't know whether his request would be granted. He had expressed his wish to look after and train two of the current passing out academy graduates. He owed it to their parents. The scar on his ribs that he had sustained from that fateful day throbbed under his Jounin vest, as if to remind him of his duty to his teammates – to safeguard their children.

As usual, the Third Hokage was seated in his chair beside a pile of paperwork on the side of the desk. The smoke from his pipe filled the room. However, he was surprised to see Orochimaru, the Sannin; Lord Danzo, the elder; and even Shikaku Nara in the room. For a moment, he thought whether he had dropped in at the wrong time. Before he could check, the Hokage gestured him to enter.

"Tsuki," the Hokage spoke in his genial tone, "I gather that you have expressed a wish to train Fujita Uchiha and Roku Akimichi,"

"Yes, Hokage sama. I feel its my duty to look after them."

"Your duty is to serve the village," Danzo sama drawled from the side.

His hair stood on edge. He had never liked the elder much. Unlike the Hokage, the elder had always given him nightmares. His eyes always looked as if he knew more than you thought he knew. It gave of a uncomfortable feeling to be honest.

"Danzo," the Hokage interrupted calmly. "If he takes care of our shinobis then he is taking care of our village. Not everyone could be emotionless like you."

The chuckle he let out calmed his heart. He didn't like this meeting one bit. However, he must get through this to fulfill the promise he had made to his teammates. So, he squashed his unease and met Hokage's eyes with determination.

"Ah," the Hokage let out a huge sigh, "We have a problem here Tsuki. While I can allow you to remain the sensei of Roku, Fujita will be a different matter."

"May I ask why Hokage sama,"

"The Uchiha clan has been pushing for young Fujita kun to be put in a team with Hatorama Senju. There seems to be a rivalry developing between them. Even though it is still one sided at this point, even the council feels that putting them in the same team would motivate Fujita kun to reach his full potential. So, I am afraid I can't make you his sensei."

It felt as if the world had shifted sideways to him. Taking care of one of his teammates' kids would be enough. Even the circumstances made it so. However, he couldn't let one of them to fend for themselves. Who knows where they will deployed during this war. And what if the sensei who had been allocated prefers the Last Senju over Fujita. Wouldn't it be his fault if anything happens to Fujita? What could he do? What could he do? How could he make sure that Fujita is cared for?

As his thoughts ran wild, a strange idea popped in his mind. Before he could think clearly about it, he blurted it out.

"That's fine Hokage sama. What if I took in Hatorama along with the others into the team."

The scoff that emitted from Danzo sama was cutting.

"What makes you think you are qualified to look after that brat?" Orochimaru san's silky voice made his back tingle.

"Tch, troublesome," even the Nara was skeptical.

A part of him bristled at the dismissal of his skills. He was a Jounin of Konoha. A veteran of the Second Shinobi War. He had seen and lived through a war. The way these men dismissed his skills was very insulting. However, he reigned in his anger. All it mattered now was to get both those kids under him. His pride doesn't matter at this moment. What mattered was how Hokage sama took it.

"Tsuki, I don't mean to belittle you. Hatorama…. Hatorama is a difficult child. Not in the way, you think. He is far more advanced than his peers. Guiding him will not be an easy task. Your skills aren't compatible with the kind of guidance he needs."

"With all due respect Hokage sama. I am a Jounin of Konoha and a veteran of Second Shinobi War. I feel confident in my abilities to make sure that all three of them come out of this war alive," he said stubbornly.

"Tsuki san, no one is doubting your skills here. We are merely pointing out that your skills are incompatible with guiding Hato kun. If Minato or Orochimaru san doesn't have any teams under them, they would be the ones given this assignment. The kid's intellect is that advanced," the Nara stated in a bored voice.

Minato or Orochimaru huh? Then it means they are trying to groom the kid to be next in line for succession. Any sensei who is assigned to that team will surely focus on the Senju more. And where would that leave Fujita kun? In an emergency their priority will be to save the Senju. He can't willingly let Fujita undergo that. Now, it was more essential that he got both of his teammates' kids.

"I made a promise Hokage sama. And I intend to see it through. If I find myself unfit to guide the kid, I will request the help of someone who could. I beg you to provide an opportunity to fulfill my promise."

"Do you think…"

"Danzo, enough!" the Hokage's voice held a steel to it that quieted down the room immediately. "Tsuki kun, what's your chakra nature?"

"Water, Hokage sama,"

"I see," the Hokage took a thoughtful posture.

"That doesn't mean anything Hiruzen, you can't be possibly considering this."

"Danzo, you need to think more in long terms. Hatorama is a genin. Currently, the main issue to consider is to keep him alive during this war and let him grow up after that. What if he had a slow start? All that matters is that he comes out of this war alive. Considering the situation, he won't have much time to grow before he is deployed to front line. As a veteran, Tsuki can teach him how to survive the battlefield with minimal resources far more than Orochimaru or Minato could. While Orochimaru was in the thick of the battlefield, Minato hadn't seen much of the battlefield in the last war. A veteran like Tsuki had to scrape through battlefield with minimal resources. And, if his dedication to Fujita and Roku are any indication, he will make sure his team survives the battlefield. So, I think it is better for Tsuki to get the team he asked."

"However sensei, it will seriously limit Hatorama's progress. You have seen his file, I think it would be best if Hatorama receives a special apprenticeship. That way everyone gets what they want,"

"I have already offer to take him as my personal student Hiruzen, what more do you want? If you are worried about offending the Uchiha, don't be. We have to do all we must to ensure the future of this village," Danzo sama spoke in a thin voice.

"I think isolating him is not a good approach. The boy has no friends to speak of. I am worried for him Danzo. It is not natural."

"Even the Hatake brat didn't have friends when he graduated out of academy sensei, see how well he shines under Minato's guidance."

"Do you think me incapable of providing him guidance, Hiruzen?"

"We had this conversation the day Tsunade left, Danzo. Don't push me,"

"Whatever, looks like you have made your mind. I'm leaving. If you begin to regret this decision, my offer is always open for the brat."

Danzo sama walked out of the room grumbling to himself. He had never seen Danzo sama and the Hokage argue openly before. And to think that all this fuss is because of a academy graduating genin, it scared him to be honest. It was an eye opener for him to see how many people are really invested in that child's progress and how powerful they are. A strange sense of bitterness formed in him. The child was getting all these careful considerations because he was born a Senju. What could he have achieved if he hadn't born a civilian?

"Tsuki kun," the Hokage's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Here, this is Hatorama's file. Check it out and tell me what you see."

"Yes, Hokage sama."

He collected the file and went through it. It was the standard academy file on a genin graduate. It listed his scores through the academy. As he pursued it more and more, a sense of anger enveloped him. The kid was not even special. He was just average. Average in every sense. And so many remarks on his tardiness and other shenanigans. The one good thing about the kid was that he had no indications as to any violent behavior. He had looked at Fujita kun's file and this kid didn't even come near to Fujita. But, everyone seems to be fixated on this kid. Why? Just because he was a Senju? And they thought he was unsuited to guide this punk?

"Hokage sama," he trailed off controlling his anger, "there seems to be nothing special."

"Here, take a look at this," the Nara handed him another file.

Still reeling in confusion and trying to contain his anger, he quickly opened the file. It was the standard intelligence file Konoha uses for storing data regarding people. The first page contained normal details regarding the kid. But, from the second page, the information began to get more interesting. His stats were way too high for an average genin. In fact, if he didn't know whose file he was browsing through he would have identified the file as a chunnin's.

"Interesting, isn't it," Orochimaru san spoke from behind the Hokage, "the kid is an enigma. No one knows whats running through his mind. If it wouldn't be against regulation and nor make sensei angry, I am sorely tempted to ask a Yamanaka to take a look through his mind."

"Orochimaru," the Hokage admonished the Sannin jovially, "he is just a bored child. It is true, even I don't know much about how his mind works. But, there is no need for an Yamanaka."

"I am merely curious sensei,"

"Well, Tsuki kun, what's your opinion."

"The kid seems to have a well crafted mask. He has been hiding his potential, at least that is what these files say,"

"You are both right and wrong," the Nara spoke with a serious tone, "he has indeed been hiding his potential. However, he doesn't have a mask. His interactions are always the same. However, there is a calculation behind his each and every interaction. Unlike other seven-year-olds, he thinks through the effects and consequences of his actions before he acts. In a way, he is even more matured than Hatake Kakashi. While Kakashi only finds it tedious to interact with people of his age group, Hatorama not only interacts but also thinks through his actions even with seven-year-olds. In short, the kid is paranoid. Of what? No one knows."

"I see,"

"And be aware that you need to treat him like an adult. Otherwise, the brat will run circles around you. Ayako never realized that the brat has been running circles around him until the last day," Orochimaru san provided a paper, "that's the final examination report."

"Well, Tsuki, I will let you come to your own conclusions. I ask only this of you. Take care of the kid with the same dedication you have towards the other kids. You are dismissed. You can collect your team from the academy."

He bowed his head in return and excused himself from the office. As he was nearing the door, the Hokage spoke.

"Ah, Tsuki kun, one more thing. There is a high possibility that the boy is a sensor too. While we don't have any conclusive proof, I have some doubts regarding it."

"A sensor, huh? That explains how the brat manages to avoid me whenever I visit you sensei," Orochimaru san stated with amusement etched into his face.

"Yes, Hokage sama, I will take note of it."

"Don't force him to confess all his secrets Tsuki san," the Nara laughed jovially in his lazy manner.

"I will do what I can, Nara san," he said and left the room.

As he made his way to the academy, his thoughts were roaming like a whirlwind. The team that they have assigned to him was highly unusual. As per the new regulations Lady Tsunade had put in place, each team must have atleast one shinobi with support potential. However, it looked like the team he has been assigned is anything but that. All three kids were frontline fighters.

And if he had read between the Hokage's words correctly, they all will be mostly deployed to the frontlines sooner than later. Frontlines were not a place for little kids like Fujita and Roku, but since they will be in a team with the Senju, they will be sent there. Also, there will be lot of pressure on Roku and Fujita to not hold back the Senju. How he is going to manage it was going to be a huge worry too. It was all because of the Senju brat.

Tch.

As he ruminated over his thoughts, the time flew by and pretty soon it was time for him to collect the kids. As he stepped into the classroom, his eyes sought out Fujita and Roku. Fujita was a perfect copy of his father when he was young. The sullen look he had on his face, reminded him of Fujita's father after he had lost a spar. Roku was tall for her age. He had read through her files and knew about her condition. It will be hard for the child to deal with her problem. But, if she is anything like her mother, she would pull through without a doubt. And he will be there to help her along that process.

"Team 27, Akimichi Roku, Senju Hatorama, Uchiha Fujita. Sensei, Mokurimo Tsuki."

The chunnin instructor's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. As he looked over the assembled students, he saw a trio of kids walking towards the front. His first look of Hatorama Senju didn't give him much hope. The brat was walking as if he owned the classroom. Just like an entitled brat. It would create problems in the future. He could already see Fujita not taking shit from the Senju brat, if the slumped shoulders of Fujita were any indication; it looked like he already disliked the Senju brat. This was going to hurt the team dynamic.

As they all reached the center, he saw the brat eye Fujita with a dismissive glance and turn to Roku. He could feel the thunderstorm forming in Fujita, to forestall any incidents, he stepped to the front and beckoned them to follow him.

As they walked, he could hear the Senju brat initiating a conversation with Roku and dismissing Fujita once again. It was a pleasant surprise to hear the brat talk about food, he half expected the brat to start boasting about his lineage. A food was always a safe topic with an Akimichi. But as the talk progressed, he saw the talk for what it was. Roku was giving more information about her likes and dislikes as time went on and the Senju brat was merely taking it all in. It was a clever manipulation technique. The brat was good, he had to give him that. He had expertly wheedled information about Roku with a single statement. If this was any indication, he need to be careful of the brat's manipulation techniques.

It was a good thing that the topic was so innocuous like food. But, he was sure that the brat could wheedle information out of innocent people with his manipulative ways on any topic. He made a mental note to teach the importance of information to Roku, she was a kid after all. As they reached the training ground, he made them sit and loomed over them to assert his authority.

He listed off the information he had received from the files about Fujita and watched him adorably sulk as he pointed out his weaknesses. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Senju brat greedily listen to Fujita's weakness. It reaffirmed his belief that the brat was too manipulative to take things lightly. If he wasn't mistaken, he already has most of the higher-ups invested in his growth. He should make sure he wasn't sucked into that honey trap too.

When he told Roku her weaknesses and the general overview, he felt that the young girl was feeling very self-conscious. Her twiddling of the hem of her shirt was way too adorable. He also noted that the Senju brat was also looking at her from the side of his eyes. He made a mental note to warn Roku's father to give a talk to the Senju brat about his precious daughter. It wouldn't do good to let innocent Roku to fall for his manipulative ways.

"Lastly, Senju Hatorama," he said and eyed the brat critically.

"The last Senju in Konoha, and frankly your file is rubbish. While it states that you have been trained by Danzo sama in etiquettes and negotiation tactics, you are considered to be lazy, apathetic, and sluggish by your peers. You have a tendency to take things lightly and have an easy going nature. You rarely react to any insults thrown your way and tend to avoid violence at all costs. You are average on all aspects of being a Shinobi. At least, that is what your file states. And I call that rubbish."

The blank face the brat wore to his words confirmed his worst fears. The brat knew that he had been fooling people and he was still doing it purposefully. It cemented the brat's manipulative tendencies. It is better to warn the kids about the brat.

"You both may wonder why I say that," he gestured to Fujita and Roku. "Because, the report I received from the academy and from the Hokage office do not match. As the last Senju residing in Konoha, his progress has been closely monitored for various reasons, both political and normal. The discrepancy between the two reports is so huge that one wonders why it is so."

Bless them, the kids understood what he meant. This was a person not to be trusted. Even though they were young, the kids had a sharp mind to catch on to that fact.

"First, his academy scores are average at best. But, it is reported by the file in Hokage's office that his true potential is anything but average."

He didn't take his eyes off the brat as he elaborated what he meant. The brat was beginning to squirm. It was good to see the brat in discomfort. Maybe the brat will realize that he would not be fooled by his manipulative ways and mind himself in his presence.

"Uchiha Fugaku, the Military Police Chief, notes that your chakra control is already at the level of low chunnin. Considering that it was a casual observation, he also suggests that it might already be at mid chunnin level."

Fujita's eyes widened. He knew the kid would get the implication. Fugaku was not a person who didn't give empty compliments. If he said it, he meant it. A mid chunnin level chakra control is only found in high chunnins. It was an example of how much preferential treatment the brat had received. Who wouldn't have such amazing control if they were trained by the Hokage and one of the Sannin daily?

"The final report filed in by Ayako states that, your taijutsu is at the minimum in low chunnin level."

Fujita's eyes narrowed. He knew the kid would take it to his heart. But, the loss would teach the kid to not weigh his opponents with their look. They can be lion in sheep's clothing. However, he was still a kid and he was sure Fujita will apply that lesson in practice in the future.

"Nara Shikaku's reports on your intelligence state that you might as well be a prodigy that could rival Hatake Kakashi. Hokage and Danzo sama's notes say that you are passably proficient in fuinjutsu too,"

He stopped there taking some time for the enormity of the information discrepancy to sink in. Fujita was looking at the brat as if he was seeing him for the first time, which was kind of true. Considering how many people the brat had fooled, it didn't surprise him to see Fujita fooled too.

Unfortunately, Roku wasn't giving the brat any suspicious looks. He mentally noted to make sure that the girl processed the information she received a little faster. Akimichis were not thinkers. But, they can be surprisingly smart when the situation demands it. He needed to make sure that the soft heart of the girl didn't get hooked by the manipulative brat.

"However, what interests me is that the huge discrepancy that is in both files. While discrepancies like these are not unheard of, the enormity raises some alarm in me. So, Hatorama kun, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

He gently leaked his chakra and pressured the brat so that he would confess to his actions. He kept it up for a few moments, and dropped it. It wouldn't do to alarm the brat and send him running to the Hokage. He was already on thin ice considering the situation of team placement. He didn't want to risk the opportunity for something so small like this.

"Ah! Sensei, whatever you have said is true. You seem to have a pretty good grasp on my skills."

The brat spoke as if it was huge achievement for him to decipher it. It would have worked on anyone else, but he had been expecting such a thing from the manipulative brat. It irritated him a little that the brat thought he could be fooled by such a non-answer.

"Hatorama kun, I didn't ask for you to confirm what is in the file. I asked for you to state the reason for such a discrepancy."

"I was bored sensei."

The shrug the brat granted him with made him feel like throttling the brat. Yet, he restrained himself.

"So, you decided to create a mask, a smokescreen, a false image to mislead your superiors just because you were bored," he replied to the brat sarcastically maintaining eye contact.

He saw the brat's shoulders hunch slightly. It pleased him to know that the brat at last understood who he was dealing with. Hoodwinking a Jounin like him is not that easy as hoodwinking a deskwarming chunnin instructor. It would be better for the brat if he realizes sooner than later.

"There was no harm done sensei."

The brat was beginning to get defensive. So, he pressed him further.

"That, is not for you to decide."

The brat didn't reply. He could see the wheels turning in the brat's mind – probably wondering why his manipulation was not working on him. He let the brat ruminate for a few minutes before pressing in again.

"In my experience, people who have things to hide and secret agendas are the ones that create masks in first place. These masks help them to navigate the shinobi world under the radar and do their deeds without raising suspicion. Tell me Hatorama kun, why do you feel the need to go under the radar? Why create a mask in the first place?"

It was satisfying to watch the realization set in on the brat. Fujita and Roku were also looking at the brat suspiciously now. Good, the brat wouldn't be able to hoodwink them easily after this.

"Being the last Senju in Konoha has too many expectations sensei. Sometimes, it is better to remain under the radar."

No, he was wrong. The brat was good enough to adapt on the fly. The brat had now painted him as a victim instead of the aggressor. He needed to be very careful with the brat. He could see the reply had eased off Fujita's and Roku's suspicion of the brat. With just a single statement the brat had undone the work he had done for the past half an hour. He need to be very careful when dealing with the brat. He let out a huge sigh before continuing again. It wouldn't do to press the brat further. He need to be smart about this.

"Remember Hatorama, this is a team. Any more of these secrets will only result in affecting the team dynamic. I expect you to be open with your teammates. Do you understand?"

"Yes sensei,"

The reply was too quick and it was clear that the brat didn't mean it. Maybe, he had tipped his hand far sooner. He internally grimaced at the blunder.

"Good, now you are all dismissed. Meet me at the entrance to the Hokage tower tomorrow at 9. Off you go,"

"Thank you sensei," they all chorused.

He watched them walk off from the training ground. Being the smart little kid he is, Fujita immediately left from the boy's vicinity. Roku however was not that smart. The kid was way too soft in her heart. It looked like he needed to step in before the girl was irrevocably swayed by the brat.

When the brat offered to have dango together, his heart almost skipped. Thankfully, Roku had the presence of mind to decline the offer. The brat watched Roku walk away like a predator thwarted from its prey. He made a mental note to drop by Roku's house today and warn her father. As the team's sensei, he couldn't warn her personally. But, he will be damned if he let innocent Roku taken in by the Senju brat's lies.


	20. Chapter 20 - A D-rank Fiasco

Team 27 had officially adopted Training Ground 11 as our designated training area. I have always expected training grounds to be on the fringes or remote places, but strangely enough, the training ground was near to the center of the village.

Things kind of fell into a routine after the initial team meeting. Elementary training, which mostly included tailoring the standard academy style Taijutsu to suit the genin and introduce some advanced concepts that weren't really advanced, was the preferred form of training of Tsuuki sensei.

Mostly we sparred with each other. Initially, it was individual sparring with alternate teammates. Sometimes there was free for all. It was a unique experience, for sure, to spar consistently with people of my age. As I noted during our first altercation, Fujita was good. Just not good enough of a challenge for me though. But, I could see him improving vastly in that short period of time. While Fujita preferred to be more technical and clear cut during the spars, Roku was entirely a different matter.

Simply put, Roku was more like a battering ram. There was no finesse to her techniques, she merely plowed through with sheer power. The first time I blocked one of her kicks, my hand had hurt as if it was hit with a stone pillar. However, after I started using chakra to enhance my defense, handling her was an easy task.

But, it didn't last for long. She too figured out how to enhance her attacks with chakra from Tsuki sensei and she was nearly unstoppable after that. My usual strategy in dealing with her involved a lot of ducking and avoiding her battering ram of attacks until she eventually wore out. While it was a novel experience to be outpowered by someone of my age, I didn't particularly enjoy it. Frankly, it hurt like hell and left a dozen or so bruises on my arms and legs regularly from the times I would have to inevitably block a hot or so.

Despite all this, I never lost a spar while sparring with them. But, the major problem was that my Taijutsu skills were at a standstill. Sure, I was getting a lot of experience and stuff, but in the end, it all amounted to nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I knew clearly that fighting enemy nin would not be like these regular spars. There wouldn't be time for protracted Taijutsu battles on the battlefield as there will be more than one enemy nin at the same time. And there was also the fact that they will be trying to kill me far more earnestly than Fujita was trying to hurt me.

Eh! Maybe not….

Fujita's constant string of losses to me has lit a fire in him. I sometimes suspect that he is mostly trying to kill me than hurt me. Recently, his attacks were far more brutal than it needs to be so in a sparring session. While I could understand his frustration, I didn't appreciate him trying to kill or maim me every Taijutsu spar. Seriously, the amount of time he has gone for my eyes or neck with a kunai frankly unnerves me.

But I got to say, both his and Roku's Taijutsu skills had increased dramatically in the past month. Mine, on the other hand….. If only sensei would spar with me…

Then, there were those suicide runs. Frankly, it was just exhausting to me. But for Roku and Fujita they were nothing but suicide runs. Sometimes, I think our runs would top even Gai's training regimen. If it is even possible.

That was one thing we all were treated equally on. When one day Fujita has griped about it, Tsuki sensei had given a hard stare that even made me afraid for life though it was not directed at me. His reasoning was simple enough to understand. As a genin, we would be mostly running if we run into any kind of trouble that is beyond our capability to handle. Considering it was wartime, those situations would be far more frequent than normal.

As a result, hell runs or suicide runs were a mandatory form of training every alternate day from the second week. And it was one thing Tsuki sensei wasn't budging on despite many protests from Roku and Fujita.

Let me tell you, those moments were rare and far between.

And then, there was that stealth training. Which was pretty useful for me as I had never planned to fight head on if I could avoid it. I would prefer to ambush my enemy in one shot than to stand and exchange blows. But considering the mindset of Fujita and Roku they never took that seriously. Frankly, they preferred to spar and even more to hunt. The normal form of stealth training is for one of us to hide and the other two to track us down.

Initially, it was fun. Until I became over-enthusiastic and let slip of my sensory skills. Then it became a moot point for Fujita and Roku to hide. Tsuki sensei wasn't pleased about that if the thin line his mouth made when I sheepishly apologized for it was anything to go by. So, then it became a tradition for Roku and Fujita to hunt me down often.

On rare occasions, Sensei would also join the hunt and make me really work hard to hold out for at least fifteen minutes. I think he mostly did it to keep my feet on the ground than to train me. Still, I wasn't complaining.

This became a routine for a month or so. While on the outside everything looked fine, I couldn't but help feeling that something was wrong. On the rare occasions that I started to actually ruminate on the day's events, I would feel as if I was an extra wheel on the team. It was really an irritating feeling.

Roku and Fujita were close to each other than they were with me. Considering how me and Fujita got along spectacularly with each other like fire and water, considering that his chakra nature was fire I think it was a supreme irony for us to be in the same team, there were very few possibilities for me to socialize with them outside of the training field. It left me tagging along like a sidekick as the duo usually discussed various things.

Sometimes, Roku would try to include me in the conversations. But, things would soon go downhill as my responses would somehow piss off the resident emo-child. He would somehow find a way to get annoyed with my response and then it would eventually lead into him trying to pick a fight with me and me ignoring him.

After few such fiascos, Roku refrained from including me into their conversations. Rarely, I get some time alone with Roku and just when we were past the initial awkwardness, either Fujita or Tsuki sensei will appear and the conversation would fizzle out.

Tsuki sensei had no smiles for me. Not even an approval or acknowledging grunt when I did something right. On the other hand, both Roku and Fujita garnered plenty of smiles and approving nods after each session of training. And a bitter feeling would rise in me every time I saw Tsuki sensei pat them on the back.

But, as an adult in mind, I reigned those feelings in. Whenever they rose, I would stomp them down ruthlessly and rationalize in my head that it was only natural after the rocky start I had with Tsuki sensei.

Ninjas were paranoid bastards, Jounins especially so. So, it didn't surprise me that Tsuki sensei was not as warm to me as he was to the duo. While my mature mind didn't need those extra motivations, I am sure the Third Shinobi War was enough motivation for me, it still made me bitter sometimes.

I could only hope that things would look up in the future after Tsuki sensei got to know me a little better and Fujita started picking fights with me. And I couldn't wait for it to happen.

While things with the team were going normally as one would the team front, the isolation from the interactions provided me with a lot of free time for me to peruse other forms of training I had planned for me. In the past month, I had discovered that I have a knack for water natured jutsus. I have finished perfecting the Water Clone jutsu and have elementary proficiency with the Water Bullet jutsu that I had found on one of the scrolls Danzo had left me with.

The Water Bullet jutsu was a little advanced than the Water Clone jutsu. It required me to concentrate more than it was required for the clone technique and it also took almost a minute for me to create it. And frankly, it was not acceptable. In a fight, the extra seconds it took me to create this technique would spell my doom. So, I was currently concentrating on reducing the time needed to perform the technique. The ideal time would be to create the jutsu and unleash it within a couple of seconds which was a long way from where I was currently.

The main problem I faced was the buildup of chakra in my lungs. It was taking me concentrated effort to achieve that. Then comes the transformation of the nature, before it was ultimately unleashed at the target.

Currently, I was taking around fifteen seconds for the first phase, ten for the second and seven for the third. So, I have taken to practice the technique until it became as easy as throwing kunai or shuriken. And I have also taken to practicing the hand seals to become very fluent with them.

Apart from that, I also had Fuinjutsu lessons with Kushina, which were frankly a nightmare these days. Ever since I had graduated, Kushina has deemed that I am now qualified to start with advanced concepts.

While I was glad for it, the standards Kushina was expecting of me was simply monstrous. First of all, the concepts were becoming way too hard to understand as opposed to normal concepts. Just the amount of variables each seal needed for me to take into account was alone mind-boggling. Then. there were the different chakra needs for each part of the seals. And to top it off, I had to make sure that whatever I wanted it to do was perfectly within fuinjutsu parameters.

There was this general misconception that the seals were a fix all method. But the reality is that seals were both structured and flexible. While anything you dream of can be made into a seal theoretically, to put it in practice was another thing entirely.

Frankly, it's kind of like creating new jutsus. You know what your new jutsu wants to do even before you begin, but making it do that was where the difficulty in the creation lies with. For instance, you need to know what hand seals to use, and in which order, and how chakra should flow, and quite a lot of other things.

To put it simply, there are a lot of parameters to take into consideration and quite a bit of rules to follow. The trick is to find a way to create a seal to do exactly what you want within the existing set of rules and regulations. It's like finding your way out of a maze. The only good thing is that the maze has more routes to the outside. But, the catch is that each route leads you to a different place.

In other words, there is no one way to achieve what you want with the seals. As long as you act within the fuinjutsu concepts and guidelines and make it work it is fine. But every different method results in different forms of the outcome. For example, if I wanted to store a certain amount of water in the scroll, the basic principle is to specify the amount of water I want to store and create adequate space for it to be stored. However, each variation of such a seal would result in varying outcomes. If I don't put the right temperature, then the water might either freeze or start to boil. Likewise, if I don't specify the right atmospheric pressure in the created space, it might inadvertently affect the water stored in it in some shape or form.

Despite getting this all right, a shoddily sketched out seal may result in storing less than preferred amount or even backfire causing the seal creator to get injured. And that's not the worst part. Getting it wrong may result in failure, however getting it done shabily would result in the seal malfunctioning at a critical moment or even before it was needed.

And this was just a storage seal.

"So, you want to learn about Barrier Seals huh?" Kushina glared down at me as I sheepishly smiled up at her.

"I guess," I hedged a little seeing an evil glint appear in Kushina's eyes.

As I watched nervously, the evil glint became a full-blown smirk on her face and my only response to seeing Kushina in such a state was to gulp audibly.

"Well, since you are so interested, who am I to say no?" Kushina positively beamed causing me to have second thoughts on the whole thing. "Now, let's get started dattebayo!"

What followed was a ridiculous amount of theoretical concepts that went way over my head to be crammed into my mind forcefully by Kushina. As I was on the verge of giving up the idea entirely, she upped the notch by trapping me in a small barrier circle. The only way for me to get out was to understand the concepts she had just crammed into my head and break the barrier by altering the seal.

And I was foolish enough to tell her that I didn't know how to alter existing seals apart from the small amount of tinkering I had done with my seal weights. Which was then followed by another lecture as to how to apply basic fuinjutsu principles and break open seals that was used to trap or prevent someone from gaining access.

To sum it up, it was similar to jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. After what felt like hours of lecturing, where I had begun to yawn uncontrollably, Kushina's rant into fuinjutsu concepts came to an end.

"So, can I get out now?" I asked in a dull tone.

And the smile Kushina graced me with sent chills down my body. She simply bent down and started altering the seal that she had used to trap me with. Once done, she drew up with a blinding smile that was telling me to run far away and cheerfully announced I can get out when I had broken this seal and walked away with her things.

 ****Initially, I was wary of the new addition she had made. But, nothing seemed to be different from before. So, after five minutes or so, I shifted my attention to the entire seal in question placed before me and started studying it, hoping to get lucky and find a way to break this seal so that I could get out.

Something caught the corner of my eyes in the seal. It was squiggled like a ten followed by one, and kanji I was very familiar with. I had a foreboding feeling about that particular part. Still, I pulled myself away from it and concentrated on the entire seal structure. The seal was shaped like a circle and an immediate scanning of my surroundings with my chakra sense indicated that there was a circular barrier around me.

"So far, so good," I mumbled to myself as i tried to decipher what kind of a barrier she had used.

From her lecture earlier, it was clear that there were different kinds of barrier. The nature of those depended on what kind of purpose it was used for. I concentrated my chakra and tried to test the barrier for its sturdiness, hoping to overpower it and simply break out.

No such luck.

I knew it wasn't going to be that easy. So, now I studied the seal again. The circle was linked to a character indicating a certain number and that number seemed to be the focal point on which the seal was based off. I immediately knew that in order to break the seal, I must overcome that number.

I let my eyes roam hoping to find a clue as to what that number meant. But, my eyes unconsciously drifted back to the same squiggly lines of ten followed by one and that familiar character. Something in me said that the portion of the seal was somehow important. But, I didn't know in which way they were important.

But as I pulled back a little and changed the angle of the view a little more aerial, I saw a narrow streak of line connecting the circle, the familiar kanji, and the numbers. Before I could process what it meant, a slight jolt of electricity passed through my body making my hair stand straight.

My eyes widened in understanding. That was a timer. Roughly ten minutes have passed since Kushina left, and that was the character for lightning in kanji. That means I must endure this jolt of shock every ten minutes. And that one must be the number of times for the electricity to pass through.

Ah Crap!

I have to break this seal as soon as possible. I gritted my teeth and tried to process what the hell those numbers in the focal point meant. But, I couldn't get off that easy can I?

Another jolt of electricity passed through my body causing a stinging sensation to develop in my nerves.

Crap!

That one was not the number times for the electricity to pass through. If the slight subscript format was right, then it must mean that the electricity will pass through every minute from now.

Oh shit!

I cursed all the gods in the universe, this and my previous world, and rankled my brain to try and figure out what those darned numbers in the center meant.

 **Bzzzt!**

 **(*****)**

It took me a full twenty minutes to break that seal. And the answer…. It was my damned height. That barrier was made to trap someone below that particular height in that barrier. All it required was for me to henge into a tall guy and I was out.

As barriers went, it was an easy barrier to destroy. But, in those twenty minutes, I had gotten shocked about eleven times and as a result, my nerves were tingling for the entire day. From that moment, it became apparent to me that I had voluntarily walked into hell and tweaked the mustache of the guy incharge.

Still, it was beneficial for me. My fuinjutsu lessons were then a form of torture and learning. I say torture first because most of the lesson I would be in one form of agony or the other. Kushina began to trap me in a myriad of barriers and made me break out of them.

When I had complained that I asked to be taught about barrier fuinjutsu and not about breaking them, her reply was simple.

"One who knows how to break barriers will be the one who can actually create barriers that can't be broken, Hato-kun. The more barriers you break the more forms of weakness you will know about and prepare for that into your seal."

It kind of made sense in a weird sort of way. Regardless, I can't say that it wasn't effective. Her regular torture sessions made me learn about barrier seals in double the pace.

 **(*****)**

"You think I should listen to you and your stupid ideas?" Fujita shouted in my face and I had to curb the urge to punch him right in his mouth.

This has been the trend for the past week. Tsuki sensei had officially started to make us do some D-rank missions. While everything was normal, as normal as it could have been, during the training phase, the moment D rank missions came into play, things have started to fall out. Every suggestion I made on how to handle those D rank missions was met with vehement protest by Fujita. No matter how reasonable they are, Fujita just doesn't want to do it. And to make matters worse, Tsuki sensei merely stood to the side and watched us argue every time.

Frankly, it was beginning to grate on my nerves a little.

"Look Fujita, the route I suggested is the quickest way to deliver all these missives in a short amount of time," I patiently explained to him.

"No, we are in the center of the village. The easiest way is to take the route I suggested." Fujita said with finality as if the matter was done with since he said so.

I could feel a headache forming listening to him. The route he has suggested made us run all around the village with so sense of cohesion or planning. It was plainly ridiculous to follow his plan as I very well knew that two particular streets he suggested us going through didn't actually connect with the location, but rather landed us in the backside of the buildings through which there were no accessible streets nearby to just walk a little extra and deliver them. It would mean that we have essentially traverse back two more streets and turn right into the street I suggested via another route.

"What do you think?" I asked Roku who was munching on some Arari that she had brought.

"I don't know the streets that well. You guys decide," Roku said the most political answer I had heard making me look at her in disbelief.

I get it that she and Fujita were closer than me and her, but still, this was utter bullshit. I let out an exasperated groan and eyed Tsuki sensei. Yes, no help from there either.

"Look, idiot, I gritted out. That street is a dead end. The entrance to the Intelligence Division lies on the opposite street. The best way is to take the right after the Inuzaka compound."

Fujita bristled and looked as if he was going to argue more. Instead, he grabbed the courier bag from Roku and started walking adamantly in the direction he had suggested. I looked at him with disbelief. Then, groaned before following after him. Roku and Tsuki sensei took up the rear.

As we were halfway through the delivery, Fujita smirked at me in a smug way taunting me. I merely ignored him and walked with my hands in my pocket dreaming about how I wanted to tailor my ninja outfit. Until now, I had been wearing a pretty standard gear. Lately, I have been toying with the idea of creating a unique outfit to identify me.

Let's face it, almost all the cool ninja in the series had a unique outfit that signified them. Kakashi's mask, Naruto's jumpsuit, the Akatsuki cloak, Gaara's gourd, and so on. So, it was only practical for me to look the part if I was going to be an S-rank ninja one day. Also, it was the only thing that was keeping me from throttling Fujita these days. I began this project as a way to pass time initially while we were doing the D-ranks. But, it had taken a life of its own and now I was seriously debating on varying colors, styles and so on. I was even debating to go with how Tobirama looked in the series just for the sheer effect it would cause in the battlefield.

Frankly, while it appealed to me a lot, I was also worried that I would inadvertently paint a target on my back. Because let's face it, I am already looking like a miniature version of him and if the outfit was added, I would, without doubt, look like a mini-Tobirama, and what could go wrong with such a young child appearing like Tobirama in the battlefield. It would be a miracle if they didn't send a special team just to eliminate me.

"Ah, Fujita kun, I think this street is a dead end," Roku said in her gruff voice with a sheepish look.

I looked up to find Fujita blankly staring at the back of the Intelligence Division building. It was not a dead end per se, for anyone taking the aerial route over the rooftops, it was the shortest route. However, that was not the case with us as we were traveling through the streets in a normal way. It was exactly what I had warned him about earlier.

Unable to contain myself, "Well, genius. Here is the building. Go, deliver the scroll and come," I said slyly.

Fujita glowered at me and I merely smirked at him.

"Shut up. Just because there is no entrance. It doesn't mean that there is no way in. Watch me, I will deliver this," he said looking at the window on the first floor.

"Ah! I wouldn't do that if I were you," I warned him seeing him contemplating to use that window.

"Shut up, you coward." he hissed at me and started walking towards the building at the end of the street.

I turned to Tsuki sensei who was standing to the side and asked, "Are you going to let him do it?"

Tsuki sensei eyed me critically before replying, "Isn't he your teammate?"

"Okayyyy…." I singsonged and made my way to the nearest building to lean on it and watch the show.

Tsuki sensei looked at me in disapproval, but I didn't care one whit. Roku looked between us puzzled.

"What's wrong?" Roku asked nervously.

"Nothing," I shrugged and watched as Fujita was almost to the building.

"Hatorama kun, aren't you going to stop him?" Tsuki sensei asked in a grave tone.

"I tried, unfortunately, he doesn't listen to me. We could have avoided all this if he had listened to me from the beginning." I said with no apparent guilt.

Tsuki sensei eyed me once and turned to shout at Fujita.

Roku neared me and asked, "What is going to happen?"

"He is going to learn a very important lesson," I said cryptically as I watched Fujita ignore Tsuki sensei and jump to the window ledge.

Tsuki sensei cursed and took off after him. But, it was already too late. If Tsuki sensei had left without trying to interrogate me, this could have been avoided. Or if Fujita has listened to any of my warnings too. Fujita has already pried open the window and the next moment a snake shot out and coiled around his neck. Roku screamed beside me. Fujita wasn't an exception. I merely raised an eyebrow. I was expecting a kunai or a kick, a snake was definitely not on my list.

Well, this should be interesting.

The snake dragged Fujita inside unceremoniously and Tsuki sensei groaned.

"Shishou, I caught someone sneaking by the window. Should I let Midori eat him?" a childish voice screeched from inside the room.

Roku screamed beside me as Tsuki sensei stood stock still in shock.

"Well, well, this is turning from a slight misunderstanding into a fiasco," I mumbled to myself.

I knew what this meant. Orochimaru was inside and with the level of clearance he has, every information in his possession can possibly be very sensitive information.

"I see," Orochimaru's voice echoed from inside.

Sure enough, within seconds the Snake bastard was looking down at our team from the window with Fujita still held in a chokehold by the snake near him. A chibi Anko was looking at the snake and Fujita with a disturbing amount of glee.

"And that's why you should use only the authorized entry point when dealing with the intelligent division," I said mildly to Roku who was hyperventilating beside me.

"Tsuki san," Orochimaru looked down at Tsuki sensei with a small smile playing across his face.

"Orochimaru san, if you would ask your apprentice to release my student," Tsuki sensei said rigidly.

"And why would I do that?" Orochimaru asked silkily with barely contained glee. "By all rights, I should take him to interrogation to ensure that he hadn't heard any sensitive information."

"I can assure you, he was just being foolish and he didn't have enough time to eavesdrop." Tsuki sensei said in a tight voice.

"One would think that a genin would know the authorized entry points into information division," Orochimaru drawled without giving any indication to release Fujita. "Especially, considering you have Hato kun in your team."

And he had to just do that. I groaned internally. I merely smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

"It is not a proper form to withhold such sensitive information, Hato kun," Orochimaru spoke silkily to me without bothering to accede to Tsuki sensei's demand.

"I tried to warn him, it's his fault that he doesn't listen to any of my warnings," I offered in return as I mentally cursed all the gods for Orochimaru's presence.

"Looks like your team lacks proper teamwork Tsuki san," Orochimaru said while gesturing to Anko to release Fujita.

Anko pouted adorably before she made the snake release Fujita, Fujita gasped audibly as he took in large gulps of air. The terror on his face was palpable. Roku breathed a sigh of relief beside me.

"I will make sure of that," Tsuki sensei gritted out.

Orochimaru nodded regally before throwing Fujita out unceremoniously. As he retreated from the window, Anko looked down at a disheveled Fujita with a pout before shutting the window.

"Finish the mission," Tsuki sensei ordered us in a tone that barely restrained his displeasure.

I shrugged and walked over to Fujita. I picked up the courier bag from the ground beside him before giving him a small smirk and walked back the right way to retract two streets to the Inuzaka compound.

 **(*****)**

To say that Tsuki sensei wasn't pleased to run into Orochimaru would be an understatement. If the tightening of his jaw was anything to go by, he seemed ready to strangle the lot of us. Even Roku and Fujita were walking on pins and needles as we completed the rest of the mission.

As soon as the mission was done and we have reported to the Hokage Tower, Tsuki sensei took us all to our usual training ground without speaking a single word. The moment we entered the training ground and assumed our usual spots, he rounded on us with severe displeasure radiating from him.

All three of us shrunk back seeing the look on his face.

"That…..was a…. disaster," he bit out struggling to contain his temper.

None of us answered that. While Roku and Fujita were busily examining their feet, I looked around everywhere expect at our sensei. In hindsight, that would have sent a wrong message to Tsuki sensei. Frankly, I wasn't feeling any guilt. The entire fault lay with Fujita and some portion lay with Tsuki sensei.

If Fujita had listened to any of my suggestions, then it would have been avoided. At least, Tsuki sensei must have intervened when he knew that Fujita was just being willful. Instead, he had stood back and watched us. While I could understand that he wanted us to sort out our issues by ourselves, not even reprimanding Fujita was his mistake.

I think my thoughts must have shown on my face, for Tsuki sensei rounded on me.

"What do you think you guys were doing?" Tsuki sensei barked at us. "That was the worst example of teamwork I had seen in my entire career. If this continued, you would all be dead in the first out-of-village mission."

I couldn't help but agree with that. With how Fujita was always hell-bent on not listening to anything I say, it might even lead us all to our deaths.

"And you," he pointed at me angrily, "is that how you treat your teammate?"

I gaped at Tsuki sensei. Was Tsuki sensei being serious?

"What? What did I do wrong?" I asked indignantly.

Tsuki sensei glowered at me, "You think you did nothing wrong eh? Why didn't you stop him when you know full well what he was doing was foolish?"

"Really," I deadpanned unable to believe the crap that was coming out of Tsuki sensei's mouth, "as if he would have listened to me."

"That is no excuse to let your teammate get into a dangerous situation just because you want to feel superior," he thundered back.

"Are you kidding me? I tried to tell him that there is no access to the Intelligence Division through that street. But, did he listen? No! And I even warned him not to approach the window. What else do you want me to do? Drag him by his ear like a little child?"

"So, just because he wouldn't listen to you, you would be glad to see him get into a dangerous situation?"

"That is a load of bullcrap, and you know it!" I shouted back.

"Don't use that tone with me, brat," Tsuki sensei's eyes narrowed.

I glared back not backing down. I could feel my hold on my temper slipping. I struggled very hard not to lose it.

"Just because you have led a privileged life till now, it doesn't mean I will treat you the same way. The next time you use that tone with me, I will make you regret it," Tsuki sensei thundered at me.

That does it.

"Privileged life, my ass," I spoke without caring about Tsuki sensei bristling before me, "I don't see you berating the idiot who caused all this, do I? You are acting as if I was the only one who made the mistake. Honestly, let's leave aside the fact that he wouldn't have listened to me aside, what were you doing eh? Did you correct him when he made that stupid plan, no! Did you stop him from approaching the window, no! Now, all of a sudden it was all my fault when the asshole who is the cause of all this is not even getting a single scolding. Are you freaking kidding me?"

Tsuki sensei was breathing like a raging bull. I wasn't any better. I was sure that my eyes were red by now. And that was never a good thing.

"Sensei…" Roku broke our staring contest in a meek tone.

When Tsuki turned his angry eyes on her, she shrunk back in fear. Seeing her cowering under his gaze, his eyes softened. Tsuki sensei took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead trying to get his temper under control.

"Twenty laps…. Everyone…" he grit out in a tight voice, "...now!"

Fujita and Roku readily jumped at the chance of escaping our sensei's irate look. I, on the other hand, left with a scathing look at him. My anger wasn't subsided, I felt like punching something. Still, he was my sensei and as a genin, it was my duty to listen to him.

I finished the laps in pure spite. I didn't even notice that the duo running alongside me was breathing heavily. I was sure that they both could feel how pissed off I was, but I couldn't care less of what they thought now. I was already at my tipping point. Almost two months of feeling like a third wheel, having no one to connect to, receiving zero to no instruction, taking Fujita's crap… everything was just... too much. And the fact that I was going to be sent to the frontlines soon was just icing on the cake.

I plonked down hard in front of Tsuki sensei and resisted glaring at him. Instead, I began to sketch some elementary seal designs on the ground. I could feel Tsuki sensei looking at me, but I didn't bother much about it too.

"What you guys exhibited today was absolutely atrocious," Tsuki sensei began, his voice normal now. But I was busy examining the triangular seal design I sketched out on the mud. "If this is the standard you guys have when we leave for an out-of-village mission, I would be bringing back three body scrolls instead of my team."

The triangular design didn't seem to be the right way to go about this particular seal. Maybe, I should use a box. But the addition of another side might disrupt the stability of seal. What should I do? Maybe, I should increase the strength to stabilize the seal… but it was not a guarantee. It might have an adverse effect…. Ugh, this is irritating.

"Fujita kun, you need to be less willful and more open to ideas from your teammates. You shouldn't go off on your own without your teammate's approval. Roku chan, you need to speak up more and not be afraid of hurting your friends with your opinions. While trying to be the peacekeeper is well and fine, you don't need to be always political in your answers."

The strength might have increased, but I could see that the stability was atrocious in this design. This is going to be a bother, I should start from scratch and try a different method.

"Hatorama, you need to put the team first. Instead of being petty and enjoying feeling superior to your teammates…. Hatorama I am talking to you,"

"I am listening," I said not looking up from the new design I had sketched out.

"You need to communicate better with your teammates. Your pride is not as important as your teammate's lives… Look at me when I am talking to you."

I reluctantly pulled my eyes from the seal design. Like always trying to think through various ways to create a seal to do what I want had settled my mind a little.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah, team first, no pride, let the idiot do whatever he wants and clean up after him," I said sarcastically.

Tsuki sensei's eyes narrowed.

"Hato kun," Roku interjected sensing another argument brewing.

I took a deep breath. "Yes sensei, I understand." I gritted out.

Tsuki sensei didn't seem happy about the response. But, I couldn't care less. I returned my eyes to the seal design.

"You are dismissed… Take tomorrow off, and think about what I said."

We all nodded like the dutiful genin we are, them two in acceptance, me just to get out of the training ground. I think Tsuki sensei sensed that I wasn't being entirely apologetic or accepting of his criticisms, but he let it go. He looked at us one last time, his hard eyes stayed on me for a few extra seconds, before he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

I immediately stood up, not bothering to bid goodbye to either of them and started walking towards the exit.

"Hato kun," Roku's voice made me pause as I was near to the exit. However, I didn't turn around.

"Maybe, we should all get together so that you and Fujita kun could talk things out," she suggested hesitantly, unsure of her own suggestion.

I furrowed my eyebrows trying to think whether I wanted to do this right now. If this invitation had been offered a day prior, I would have been glad to work things out with Fujita. But now,... As I thought about what had actually happened, I could feel my temper rising.

"Hey asshole! Roku chan is talking to you," Fujita growled at me.

Nope, definitely not. I was not sure whether I wouldn't throttle Fujita alive in my current mood. And that might actually be detrimental rather than helping us.

"Hato kun," Roku's pleading voice almost made me agree.

"Don't act like you are all that, asshole. Answer her. Didn't you hear sensei? You need to come off that high horse," Fujita shouted, his voice right behind me.

I could feel my temper rising just listening to his voice.

"Not now Roku," I grit out massaging my head and started walking away without waiting for their reply.

I was out and away from the training ground in a flash. I could hear Fujita shouting at me and Roku trying to calm him down behind me.

"Did you look at him? Who does he think he is? I am going to teach him a lesson," Fujita shouted before running after me.

I didn't hang around to hear Roku's reply. I picked up speed and left a yelling Fujita in the dust. But, I had underestimated his persistence. I could hear him shouting at me to stop and coming after me.

I felt a headache forming between my eyebrows. I was just not in the mood to stand and hear that jackass's self-righteous yelling at this time. If only Tsuki sensei had spent more time pointing out his mistakes instead of trying to pick faults with my behavior, he would have realized this entire thing was his fault.

However, after hearing him speak earlier, it was clear to me that he didn't think the fault lay with him. And currently, after that shouting match with Tsuki sensei, I wasn't in the mood to hear his self-righteous prattle. I didn't even know if I would keep things civilized at this point.

And, Tsuki sensei…. I couldn't believe the man. It was entirely unfair of him to try to make this entire thing my fault. After all, I wasn't the one who willfully chose the wrong route or try to get into the Intelligence Division despite my teammate's warnings. Just thinking about made my blood boil. I haven't been this angry since the day Danzo threatened Harami. Even Fujita taking a dig at Tsunade hadn't made me this angry. And I had beat the stuffing out of him for that…

I felt a hand land on my shoulder. I rounded angrily and shouted, "I said, not now. Don't you get it?"

Only to blink in confusion at seeing Kushina looking down at me with a smile. I saw Roku and Fujita a few steps back. Kushina saw me looking and turned to give them a smile, before turning to look at me with a bright smile. Only for that smile to falter, as she took in me.

"What happened?" she asked in concern.

"Nothing," I mumbled before trying to turn away.

She held me back and went down on her knees to give me a hug. The hug completely took me by surprise. I stood there stock still trying to process it. It felt really good for some reason. I took in a deep breath trying to anchor myself to that pleasant sensation.

"You look like shit… you eyes are red. And I know your eyes turn red only when you are very upset, want to talk about it?" she asked gently.

For a moment, I felt like ranting all my issues to her. But, before I could do that my mind registered her appearance. She was wearing her Chunin vest.

"You are leaving on a mission?" I enquired.

"Yeah silly, why else would I wear this damned thing," she laughed at me. "Mist has decided to join the fray. So, they are sending a few Jounins and Chunins in the village to assist people on the frontline."

"And they are sending you?" I asked unable to believe my eyes.

"Oi! Your nee san is an awesome Chunin," Kushina said in an offended voice.

"No, no. I just couldn't believe you are being deployed this soon," I tried to appease her.

The reason for my surprise was entirely different. The situation on the front lines must be even more dire than I imagined for them to deploy Kushina. You didn't deploy your Jinchuriki to scare off a few run-of-the-mill shinobi. The only reason for such a deployment is if you are in sore need of some devastating firepower.

"Don't worry, I will be back before you know it. And here are things I want you to practice in my absence. I will quiz you on them when I return," she offloaded a bunch of scrolls on me causing me to groan.

"Do I have to?" I sulked looking at the bulk of scrolls she had offloaded on me.

"Aw! You are cute… come, let me treat you before I leave." Kushina said ruffling my hair.

"Not Ramen again," I groaned….

"Hey, I won't be having Ramen for months," Kushina looked offended on behalf of her favorite food.

"Fine, fine," I said in defeat as she got up.

"Are you two coming?" Kushina asked my teammates looking at them.

"No, shinobi san. I wouldn't want to impose. You must spend time with your otutu," Roku graciously refused as she dragged Fujita away.

"We will meet tomorrow Roku," I called after her and saw her nod as Kushina dragged me to Ichiraku's.

 **(*****)**

When the sixth bowl of Ramen (Kushina's, I was only on my second) was done, Kushina rubbed her stomach in content as she looked at me with concern. I pretended to be busy with my bowl, not wanting to initiate that particular conversation. Undaunted, Kushina spoke, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

I scowled into my bowl before muttering, "It's just my sensei being an ass, nothing much."

"Are you sure?" Kushina asked suspiciously. "I know you Hato kun. You don't get upset that easy. You are way too mature for your age."

"Nothing, just leave it," I said taking and finishing the bowl.

"You know, sometimes things might look really troublesome. Especially for someone like you, who is more mature than average kids of your age, but sometimes we have to take a step back and look at the issue from another angle."

I merely scowled at her in reply.

"Kushina," a voice called her from outside. She sighed and I nodded in understanding. It was time for her to leave.

"Anyways, take care. Work hard in my absence. And don't give that sensei of yours a hard time, I have heard that he is under a lot of pressure from the village to get your team in shape before you are sent out."

Kushina patted my head and gave me one last hug. I hugged her back as tightly as I could. While I knew she survived the war in the story, it didn't stop me from worrying for her.

"You too, take care. And don't pull any ridiculous stunts," I said to her as sternly a kid could manage. Because I could see Kushina doing exactly that.

"Brat," she flicked my head before bidding farewell to Teuchi san.

I watched her leave with a heavy heart. I hoped she survived just like she did in the story. If not, everything I know would be a moot point. After all, there would be no Naruto if Kushina died in the war. So, I was pretty sure she wouldn't kick the bucket. Yet, I could not help but feel a little worry for her.

"Don't worry, Hato kun. It would take the Shinigami himself to drag her to the afterlife," Teuchi san consoled me from beside the counter.

I smiled at the irony of the statement. True, it took the appearance of both Kyubi and Shinigami himself to drag her to the afterlife in the story. And yet, she found a way to contact Naruto years later. I shook my head of that somber thought and bid my farewell to Teuchi san. As I made my way home, I began mulling over what Kushina had said regarding my Tsuki sensei facing pressure from the village.

Maybe, I should go easy on Tsuki sensei. Now that I have calmed down, I could see the logic in Tsuki sensei's words. I should have tried harder to stop Fujita when he had walked to the window of the Intelligent Division. In a way, it was a petty thing to do. And he was right to point it out. Only, I had flipped the lid far earlier into the conversation. Maybe, he was going to reprimand Fujita after me. I wouldn't know that now, did I?

It was clear that I should work more on not letting my emotions get the better of me. At least, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. One more thing to take care of before I was sent to the front lines.

 **(*****)**

 **Omake**

Mokurimo Tsuki was having a bad day. The D-rank mission had turned into a fiasco. He knew better than anyone how sensitive information was guarded during wartime. It was a miracle in itself that Fujita kun wasn't dragged to a Yamanaka just to ensure that he hadn't heard anything he shouldn't.

He was still pissed off about the boy for acting so foolish. But, he could understand how a fresh academy graduate wouldn't think that much into it. Then again, if that Senju brat hadn't goaded him, Fujita wouldn't have done something so foolish.

But, he couldn't say it wasn't his fault either. He should have been more attentive as to how the situation was developing. He had become lax after staying in the village for so long. That was the only excuse he could think of to justify himself. And he himself knew that it was a very flimsy excuse.

And of all people, it had to be Orochimaru who had captured the boy. For few seconds he was sure Fujita kun was going to be thrown to T&I. He still shuddered thinking about it. And that mocking smile…. Just thinking about it, made his blood boil.

He knew very clearly that his position as the Jounin instructor for Team 27 was under much scrutiny. From Hokage to no-name civilians, everyone was interested in the progress of that Senju brat. He had been trying very hard to bring the other two in the team to the Senju brat's level so that team strength wouldn't be so skewed… At least, that is what he has been telling himself.

But, deep down he knew that he didn't care much whether that Senju brat lived or died. But, others did care. And they cared very much. Each and every incident would be looked under microscopically by a lot of people. He idly wondered what kind fallout this particular incident was going to cause.

He knew that there will be repercussions for this event. And it put him on edge. Frankly, if not for the Senju brat, this incident would have been termed as a slight misunderstanding. He could have even laughed it off as playing with the genin. But, no. He couldn't do that with the Senju brat on the team, could he?

He felt a headache forming just thinking about the quagmire of political ramifications of this small incident.

He had nearly wanted to throttle that Senju brat after that incident. If only he hadn't been that prideful and went after Fujita kun and explained to him, he was sure Fujita kun would have listened. Or if the Senju brat wasn't showing off at every opportunity, this situation would have never arisen.

He knew very well, that this incident was a culmination of a long list of grievances between Fujita and the Senju brat. Fujita kun's frustration with the Senju brat has been growing constantly in the last two months. But, he never expected such a thing to occur. And to his horror, it occurred far too quickly for him to do anything about it.

And what does the Senju brat do when he points out his mistakes, he tries to pin the entire incident on Fujita kun. And from the way he worded, it looked as if Fujita was entirely to blame. He very carefully omitted the part where he goaded the boy to do the act.

 **"** **Well, genius. Here is the building. Go, deliver the scroll and come."**

He could still remember how Fujita kun has bristled at the mocking tone that the Senju brat had used. It had been the start of the fiasco. From there, one thing led to other and now he had a huge political incident on his hands. He should have realized something like this would happen from the evil smirk that the little demon had when Roku asked what was the problem. Even, he didn't expect Orochimaru to be in that room.

He was sure that little demon would have known with his sensing capabilities. The Senju brat had known who was in the room and set up Fujita to act foolishly. All because Fujita wouldn't agree to the route he suggested. That was one deviously manipulative mind. He was sure that neither he nor his friends were that devious at such a young age.

Still, he had to admit that Fujita kun's mentality was not yet to the standard of a proper genin. If he was goaded into doing reckless things like this in the field, it would lead to his death. He had been wanting to talk to him about this for some time, just didn't expect it to be on such an occasion.

And poor Roku chan, she was trying very hard to be a mediator between the two. He could only hope that she took his advice to heart and started standing up to the Senju brat more. If not…

His thoughts were disrupted by a knock to his door. Blinking up in confusion, he made his way to the door only to find the last person he wanted to see standing on his doorstep.

"Danzo sama,"

"Can I come in a bit to discuss a few things with you, Tsuki san?" Danzo sama asked and made his way into his house in the same breath.

While he would have like to shut the door in the elder's face, it would be highly inappropriate to do. Not to mention, the elder was one of the few highly respected veterans of the first and second war. He knew the elder's power just second only to the Hokage. There were even some whispers that he was commanding his own Anbu division these days.

"Tsuki san, I must say that I am disappointed with what I have heard from my sources. It seems that despite being a team for more than a month, there seems to be little progress when it comes to your team."

The elder said in a tight tone that indicated his displeasure.

"I assure you Danzo sama, it was a mere misunderstanding."

Tsuki had to restrain from shouting that it was that Senju brat's fault. He knew it wouldn't be well received.

"A misunderstanding…. You mean a possible eavesdropper when a discussion on really sensitive information regarding latest troop deployment was being conducted is merely that simple,"

Shit, this doesn't look good.

"I understand the gravity of the issue Danzo sama. But, I assure you that this was a mere misunderstanding between my genin that caused such a ruckus. I have reprimanded the person responsible for it."

"Explain," the elder stated in a monotone voice.

"Well,..." the look the elder granted him with made it clear that he wouldn't be leaving without a proper explanation. "Fujita kun and Hatorama kun have been on loggerheads recently. Fujita kun took Hatorama kun's words as sort of a challenge. Before I could intervene, things got out of hand."

If the glacial look the elder granted him with was anything to go by, he was sure that he wasn't doing a good job.

"My sources state that your genin refused to listen to his teammate's warnings and proceeded on his own. I am sure you understand how this rises alarm in me, considering the constitution of your team."

"I understand, Danzo sama," he replied trying to placate the elder.

"See to that your genin actually listens to his teammates in the future. If I were to find out that your coddling of your former teammates' progeny led to more problems, I assure you the repercussions will be severe."

"I assure that I am not coddling my genin, Danzo sama. I merely hoped that the two would work out their issues, without my intervention," he said a little testily.

The elder looked at him as if he didn't believe him. It rankled him a little to know that the elder was thinking he was coddling his former teammates' offsprings. Only he knew, how hard he has been pushing them.

"Unlike Hiruzen, I have been monitoring the boy's progress. And I have to say that I am disappointed with it, make sure you rectify it. Or else, Team 27 might be reassigned to a more capable Jounin," the elder said causing him to blanch.

"There will be no need for that, Danzo sama,"

"We will see about that. Make sure they don't hold him back," the elder said in a caustic tone before leaving his house

Tsuki looked at the retreating form of the elder with simmering anger. He knew he had to step things up a notch from now on. He could only hope that it wouldn't adversely affect Roku chan and Fujita kun.

It was all that Senju brat's fault…..


	21. Chapter 21 - A Perfect Weapon

**A/N: Last one was supposed to be a double update as an apology to leaving things for this long, but unfortunately I was stuck finishing the final scene. That scene alone went through three drafts to turn out to its current state.**

 **Also, I noted in the comments that Tsuki has been receiving a lot of hate. I merely felt like clarifying something.**

 **Tsuki's character is not necessarily bad. He feels that both Fujita and Roku will be overlooked by others since they were teamed with Hatorama. As a result, he concentrates more on them than Hatorama and, in turn, neglects him. Considering his history with their parents, he feels it is his responsibility to ensure their safety and human beings always become warped when it comes to their loved ones. Seeing how Hatorama's status brings more trouble, he is understandably pissed with him. And the fact that his first impression of Hatorama was in itself skewed makes him suspect Hatorama for almost anything. This will have a major impact on Hatorama in the near future.**

 **Anyways, this is Hatorama's story. Tsuki's perspective will probably pop up sometime in the future, but he wouldn't necessarily have a scene in each chapter. At least not for the next ten or so chapters. If you want a perspective of any particular character, let me know I will try my best.**

 **By the way, I hope this chapter sheds more light on how the team dynamic is and Hatorama's thoughts on his team. Some of you may feel its illogical, but this felt more authentic and added more value to Hatorama's character as he struggles to find his place in this world. Remember, that he considers himself an oddity in this world.**

 **About the summon thing, I might have overplayed my hand a bit there. But, I did have a valid reason for putting it there, at least in my mind. The summon's knowledge of Hatorama's past will play a part in the future, but not anytime soon. It will all tie into Hatorama's identity crisis.**

 **One more chapter and we will be heading into war. I have to say, I am looking forward to writing that particular part of the story.**

 **P.S: It's Pov, not Omake. Sorry for the confusion (for that one particular user who was confused).**

* * *

"Oi Senju Baka,"

A smile blossomed on my face the moment I heard Harami's voice. It was my first off-day ever since the team assignment. Ever since then, I have been far too busy to actually visit Harami.

"What brings your lazy ass here this early?" Harami asked with a bit of a smile.

I merely shrugged my shoulders and moved towards her. The deer she was petting was eyeing me warily. I stood a few feet from the duo and watched her pet the deer in the early morning sun. Somehow, that sight calmed me.

I had been mulling over Kushina's statement the whole night. While initially, I was angry at Tsuki sensei, as time passed, it dawned on me that maybe I might have been a little immature in my actions of not trying to call Fujita back.

Also, Tsuki sensei's words about me being too prideful for my own good seemed to echo in my head constantly. Combined with my previous mindset, it made me feel as if I may have overreacted when Tsuki sensei reprimanded me. I have to admit, it had been an awful feeling.

"When will you be done?" I asked her.

"Give me five minutes, then we will go get some dango."

"You do realize that it is awfully early to eat dango, right?"

"No, it is never early to get some dango," Harami stated sagely as if she was revealing a universal truth to me.

I smile at her. "The shop might have been opened yet," I cautioned her.

"We will see,"

Harami returned to feeding the deer, which looked ready to bolt any moment. I merely admired the scenery of Harami feeding a deer in the early morning, with lush green forest backdrop during the entire time and kept my distance away from the deer, lest I spooked it. In a couple of minutes, the deed was done and Harami let the deer race off with one last kiss to its forehead.

"So, how's your team?" she asked as we made our way back from the Nara forest.

"Don't ask me, it's horrible," I said in an exasperated tone, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Tch, troublesome."

Her trademark reply brought a smile to my face.

"How did you mess up this time?" Harami asked in a knowing tone.

"Who said it was me that messed up?" I asked a little defensively.

"If that isn't a red flag, I don't know what is," she said not looking at me.

"Tch…. It's nothing. I think I have been overreacting to stuff recently," I admitted, at last, seeing no way to dodge the question.

Silence lasted for a few minutes as we made our way out of the Nara compound. The streets were still not that active, owing to the fact that it was still early in the morning. However, there were still few people, both ninja and civilian, going about their business.

"So, how's your training going?" I asked trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"It's good. My Shishou has introduced me to basic codes that are used by the village on non-sensitive information. After fifteen days of supervising me, he has assigned me to decode the information that is coming in. Considering that I have been dealing with mostly regular reports and routine checkups, nothing interesting has come up so far."

"Hmmm," I nodded in reply as we neared the dango store which was just being opened.

"Looks like we have to wait a bit," Harami said with a huff.

"No issues, I have the entire day off."

"I expected you to not get a day off for three months at least," she replied with a searching look.

"What can I say, we messed things up a bit. So, sensei has given us a day to reflect on our behavior."

"And here you are hanging out with me. Doesn't look like you are doing much reflecting,"

I merely shrugged in response, not willing to open that particular can of worms.

"Its more than that, isn't it?" she asked with a searching look.

I grimaced. I didn't know if I should explain to her what was going through my mind. If anyone could get it and not be patronizing to me about it, it would be Harami. She was far too smart for her own good. But, it didn't feel like I should rant my problems to her. It is not as if I was the only one with problems in the world.

"Its nothing, just leave it," I said after a while.

She shrugged in return and we both sat waiting for the dango to get ready. It was fifteen silent minutes later, that we left the dango shop with a dango stick in each of our hands. We made our way to a small clearing, away from the bustle of the main streets and made ourselves comfortable.

"What about you? Don't you have to go in today?" I asked her as I took a bite out of my dango stick.

"I have to report in a while. But, it is still early for that though," she replied after savoring a particularly large bite of her own stick.

"Good for you," I muttered, not knowing how to respond.

Another bout of silence ensued as we snacked on our dango sticks. My mind wandered through the myriad of thoughts bouncing around in my head and settled on Kushina's departure to the frontlines. The fear I was trying to keep down ever since then bubbled up, but I ruthlessly squashed it down.

"How's your team? I heard from Shikaku sama that you were put together with Fujita," she asked breaking the silence.

I stopped midway from taking a bite out of my dango stick.

"As well as you can expect it to be. We haven't murdered each other yet," I said trying to turn my statement into a joke.

"What about the other one? Some Akimichi right?"

"Roku… Roku Akimichi. She's good. But she's more of Fujita's friend than to me," Harami's face fell, "I'm not complaining." I hastened to add.

"I mean, I understand. I heard that both their parents used to be on the same team. Naturally, she has to be closer to him than me."

"Oh," Harami's face brightened up a little. "Who's their third teammate?" Harami asked cheerfully.

"My sensei," I said trying not to sound bitter and utterly failing.

"Oh," Harami seemed to be at a loss as to what to say. Silence followed for a few moments as we both concentrated on our respective dango sticks.

"It must be hard," she said after a while.

"No, no. Sensei's not bad. I mean, it could be worse. But, overall he treats us all equally," I shamelessly lied. "But…"

"You feel as if you are unwanted…" Harami guessed astutely and I could only nod.

Another bout of silence ensued.

"I think, its all in my head, you know. I try very hard not to let it get to me, but somehow my mind always jumps to the worst when something happens. Like yesterday, sensei was just pointing out that sometimes I let my pride get the better of me, but I totally overreacted and blew the thing up."

Words started pouring out of my mouth like a river once I started talking.

"I mean, it was not as if he was only pointing out my mistakes. He reprimanded them too, but since I was the one he started off with, I kinda lost it. And I was in a terrible mood after that. I didn't even respond well to Kushina when she came to see me. And now, she's left for the frontlines. I don't know what…."

"Kushina san left?"

"Yeah, she left for the frontlines. Looks like Mist has joined the war too. So, they deployed her and a few other older shinobis to the frontline."

"Its getting bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and I don't think it will get any better soon. I think this will be a long war."

We both sat in silence as that truth sank in our heads. It was going to be a long war. And if my foreknowledge was correct, then we are not even halfway into it. And I will be spending most of the remaining half on the frontlines. It kind of scared me out of my wits. I have never been in a war before. And the horror stories I have heard about the veterans who came out of it made my head spin.

"Will you be safe?" Harami cut through my self-spiraling thoughts with a timid voice.

I looked up at her, only to find her looking intensely at her dango stick. I groaned internally as I realized what I was doing. Here I was, a grown ass man, at least mentally, ranting about my fears to a little girl. No matter how smart she was, or how advanced for her age she was, this was entirely wrong.

And I could see that Harami was scared for me. She knew I would be going to the frontlines soon. For a girl, as young as Harami, knowing that her friend was going to be in the frontlines of a war would be a terrible burden. It didn't matter that she was a genin now, she was far too young to be having such a burden.

"Who are you worried about? I am a Senju. We are born to fight," I said with far too much cheer in my voice than normal.

And for an extra effort, I flicked my half-finished dango stick at her head. Her indignant shriek was music to my ears as she started berating me for acting like a child despite being a genin. I laughed at her, until delivered a swift kick to my face that I had to hurriedly duck out of. I backpedaled and created some distance before standing up with a smile.

"Baka," she screeched at me and turned to leave.

"I'm sorry Harami," I rushed to catch up to her.

She let out an indignant huff, "Anyways, I need to leave for work. Unlike you, I don't want to mess up and disappoint my Shishou," she said caustically.

"Fine, fine. I will walk you to the compound," I raised my hands in surrender.

She let out a huff before turning away from me and walking towards the Nara Compound. But, she did walk slowly allowing me to catch up.

We made our way back to the Nara Compound talking about what we are training in currently. It looked as if she had started to train more in her clan jutsus now. I let her know my progress in water natured jutsus. She seemed to be impressed that I know three C-rank jutsus already. I pointed out to her that she wasn't far behind with all the clan jutsus she was training in.

Overall, the conversation took a lighter turn as we both jested and mocked each other all the way to Nara Compound. Harami waved me goodbye and we parted at the gates.

I watched her make her way into the compound for a few moments and started wandering aimlessly through the village. I knew I have to go meet with Roku and Fujita in a while, but I didn't know where to meet them. Probably, I should go to our training ground. But, it was too early for that.

As I wandered aimlessly through the village, my feet slowly took control of me and soon I was looking down at the village from one of the favorite spots in the village - the Hokage Mountain.

Talking to Harami did put some things into perspective for me. I knew I was afraid to be in the frontlines. Any sane person would be. But, it was just an excuse. I couldn't wallow in it too much. I knew that in order to become an S-rank ninja, I need to experience many life and death situations. While a part of me could wish to be an S rank ninja, I knew it wasn't going to be easy or done overnight.

This war would be a good place to sharpen myself for the events in the future. But, nothing would matter if I don't get out of this war alive. So, my current priority should be getting out of this war alive.

I knew, I pretty much had the running away part down to pat now. I know I will be doing a lot of it in the upcoming war. Some might consider it wimpy or even cowardice, but I knew it was anything but practical. I was a mere genin now. And expecting me to take on Jounins and seasoned veterans would only be a colossal joke.

So, the escape part is pretty much set. I could use the Hidden Mist jutsu, and a couple of clones to make my escape from tricky situations. And my sensing abilities will come into huge use during those times.

But, I can't be running away all the time. There will be inevitably some times where I would need to fight for my life. And being in the frontlines, I think it would be more often than I would like. Even for escaping, I might need to get into a scuffle or two to make a getaway. And that was the part that worried me.

No matter how much I improved in the next few months, there will always be someone more experienced and stronger than me. And to get out of tricky situations like that, I would need something extra. Like, say a trump card. Or…. a team….

Kushina's parting advice came to mind and I grimaced. It was clear from her statements that Tsuki sensei was under heavy scrutiny. I wouldn't be surprised if Danzo had an eye on our team.

Considering how the two children of his former teammate are in the team, there will be someone always looking for some hint of partiality or some such thing. He should be under pressure to not be partial. And, my outburst yesterday was pretty much telling him that he was being partial.

I grimaced at how much it would have hurt Tsuki sensei. No wonder he was so angry with me. Despite his efforts, I had accused him of being the very thing he dreaded to be. Maybe, I should apologize first thing tomorrow. Even if it wouldn't solve anything, at least it would indicate that I was willing to take criticism. And that would, in turn, reduce tensions within the team.

And Fujita…. That was honestly a dead end. I didn't know how to patch up things with him. Maybe an apology to him? Nah, no way! But then, it wouldn't hurt much, could it? At least the words would keep him placated and he would be more willing to work with me. It would be for the best. Once he gets it through his head that working with me is actually to everyone's benefit, it would become far easier to implement any strategies and we all would have more chance to get out of this war alive.

The more I thought about it, the more it felt beneficial. Am I going to keep dragging this on and on by keeping to my pride, or am I going to apologize and reduce the tension and have a better chance at survival? The answer sounded simple to me. After all, despite everything Fujita is just a small boy. And knowing Uchiha clan, the pressure he must feel would be enormous. Not to mention that he is in a team with a Senju - their hated rivals. So, keeping him appeased could only improve the team dynamic.

Having made the decision, I wasted no time in making my way to our usual training ground. It took some time for the others to arrive. Roku arrived first about fifteen minutes after I came.

"Hi Hato kun, were you waiting for long? Sorry, I didn't let you know at what time we decided to meet up," Roku said as she made her way to where I was resting.

"No, I just came about ten minutes ago," I replied with an easy smile.

"Ok," Roku nodded in return as she sat beside me as we waited for Fujita to arrive.

"About yesterday," Roku began after some time.

"I know Roku, sorry, I just overreacted. I don't know what got into me. I was just stressed," I apologized to her immediately.

If anything, I felt kind of bad for putting Roku in the middle and watch it happen.

"No, no. I get it. Sensei should have reprimanded Fujita first," Roku began.

"It doesn't mean he wasn't right about me, does it?" I asked with a self-deprecating smile.

Roku didn't reply immediately.

"I know, I should have gone after Fujita. It's just that, it is hard sometimes. He never listens to what I say, and sometimes I feel like punching him in the mouth. And I think, I just didn't care much at that point when he walked to the building. But, I never expected Orochimaru to be there."

"Yeah, he was scary," Roku said with a shudder.

"Imagine, I have to deal with him thrice a week when he drops in for dinner," an amused laugh left my mouth and I saw Roku smile at that.

"Orochimaru sama is strong though. I heard from my father that he is one of the top five shinobis in Konoha. You must get loads of advice,"

"As if," I snorted, "Hiru..., I mean Hokage sama and Biwako san wouldn't teach me anything. They are old fashioned. They strictly believe that it is the Jounin instructor's job to teach me anything advance,"

 _'and they believe teaching me things would send me to frontlines soon'_ I added mentally to myself.

"And I don't like Orochimaru san much. I prefer to avoid him most of the times. Kushina teaches me sometimes, you saw her yesterday, but even then she only has limited time."

"I didn't know that," Roku said in reply.

"Trust me, most things I know I learned from Konoha library. I also improved upon the basics that Biwako san taught me."

"Oh,"

"Anyways,"

"Hey Roku chan," Fujita bounded into the training ground with a cheery mood only to have his face sour at the sight of me.

"Hi Fujita," Roku greeted from near me with a smile on her face.

"Hi Fujita," I greeted him amicably.

"Senju," he nodded stiffly.

I let out a huge sigh. I stood up and walked towards him with Roku trailing behind me. A tense silence enveloped us. We all knew why he had decided to meet. But, the problem was to figure out how to go about it.

We stood there awkwardly for a few moments, me and Fujita eyeing each other, Roku watching us. At last, I decided it was time that someone spoke of the elephant in the room instead of treading around it.

"Look, Fujita," I began and immediately he scowled, "I know things haven't been good between you and me."

He looked as if he was going to argue, so I forestalled him by raising my hand. I didn't need him interrupting me now. It already irked me to apologize to him. I didn't want him to set me off with some really stupid shit.

"I don't know what it is that you are mad at me with. But, I know that it is not good for the team. And with the war, I think it is best if we put our differences aside and try to be more of a team than we are now. So, I apologize for whatever it is you are mad at me with. I think.."

"Will you stop it?" Fujita shouted angrily at me.

I faltered mid-sentence surprised with the amount of anger in his voice.

 _Now what?_

"You don't need to act all high and mighty, Senju. I know it was my fault yesterday. And I know from my father that Tsuki sensei is facing a lot of pressure from higher-ups because of what I did yesterday. I don't need you to tell me that it was my mistake. You made it very clear yesterday. I am not a baby. So, don't patronize me like this, you asshole."

I stared at him dumbfounded. That was not the reason I apologized to him. I just wanted to stop fighting and get along.

"Fujita.."

"I apologize, Senju. I will not let my personal emotions to get hold of me hereafter. I came to say this to you. I am leaving," Fujita spoke over me in a strong tone and took off without waiting for my reply.

I stood there stunned. I didn't know how to react for a moment. I looked at Roku hoping she could help me make sense of what I had done wrong. Roku shrugged her shoulders in return. I closed my eyes and groaned unable to believe that it had all gone sideways.

"Maybe, I should go check on him," Roku said hesitantly.

I nodded not opening my eyes indicating that she should go ahead. I heard Roku taking after Fujita and shook my head in misery.

Every freaking thing was going wrong recently.

I honestly didn't know how I was going to fix this mess. I didn't know if I came off as patronizing to Fujita, but it was not my intention at all. I just figured we could all get along if I apologized. But, now it was clear that it was wishful thinking. I shook my head unable to believe that I have messed it up once more.

I sat there for a while, hoping Roku would come back with Fujita and I could explain my intentions to him. But, it was in vain. I waited for more than an hour, neither Roku nor Fujita came back.

Eventually, I got up and walked out of the training ground roaming aimlessly through the streets. As I roamed, I thought about how things had gone sideways despite my good intentions. I laughed self deprecatingly as a story from before came to mind.

Lord Garuda, a god of Hindu pantheon once saw Yama, the Lord of Death, watching a small hatchling intensely and decided that it was a good idea to remove the baby hatchling to a remote tree that is beyond seven seas and seven mountains to save it. Only for a snake on that tree to eat the baby hatchling within a few minutes after Lord Garuda left. Yama later told Lord Garuda that he was wondering how that particular was going to be eaten by a snake in that remote location within the next ten minutes, as it was what its fate was.

Lord Garuda's intention to save the hatchling became the trigger for its death. And the irony of it was that the hatchling would have been alive if Lord Garuda wouldn't have intervened. If only I had kept my mouth shut, maybe I could have avoided this fresh bit of drama.

Whatever!

There was no use crying over spilled milk. I think it is better that I concentrated on increasing my strength before I was deployed to the frontlines. In the end, that was the only thing in my hands. That was the only thing I could guarantee.

As I was deciding on what to do next, something caught my eye from a nearby shop. I couldn't stop myself as I moved closer to it and felt it under my palms. A sleek bow stood there in the weapons shop. From the looks of it, it looks like it had been sitting there for a long time. If the amount of dust it had accumulated was anything to go by, it should have been on the shelf for a long time.

I couldn't help but run my hands across it. It felt strong. Almost like a kunai, only it was rather unwieldy compared to a kunai or shuriken.

"No one uses those anymore?" a gruff voice sounded behind me making me jump.

"I was just looking…" I said defensively as I eyed the old man who was standing behind me.

The old man snorted. He pushed past me and lifted the bow. As he swung the bow, I could hear a whirring sound from it. Intrigued, I moved to get a closer look at the bow.

"This bow is one of a kind. Look at it, you see how strong it is?" I nodded, "yet, this is flexible. It is both good for long distance, and if needed," he swung the bow once more, once again the whirring noise appeared, "can be used as a weapon in hand to hand combat. But, a pity. No one uses it these days."

"Does no one use bows?" I asked as my curiosity piqued a little.

"Farmers and hunters use them. Then again, they prefer hard bows. Hard bows pack more power, and it is not as if they are going to go near to the animals. So, this kind of bows made with a special metal is nothing but waste to them."

"What about shinobis? They can use it for hand to hand combat right?" I asked undeterred.

"They can, but then again, no one bothers with bows these days. They are a bit impractical," the old man said wistfully.

"Why so?"

"Think brat. Bows are used to fire arrows. But, with kunai and shuriken, who is going to have time to fire arrows. So, bows have been out of fashion for more than two decades now. No one uses these anymore."

I nodded. It made sense. It is easier to throw kunai or shuriken at the target.

"Anymore? So, does it mean shinobis used it before?"

"Of course," the old man huffed indignantly. "Why else would I bother creating this? Then again, I haven't created anything like this in the last decade. This is the only one left from the last batch I created."

"Oh," and then something nagged in the back of my mind. "Wasn't there kunai and shuriken before? If so, then the bow must have something unique for shinobis to have used before,"

"Yeah, it does provide a longer range than kunai or shuriken. You could down a target from a far greater distance than you could do with a kunai or shuriken. Also, it has more penetrating power. What with force and all, but bows fell out of fashion after the hidden villages were established."

"Why so?"

"Well, before the villages existed, there were only clans. And most of the fights were between clans, and they would mostly be large scale battles. A bow is a good help in those situations. Later, after the villages were established, most conflicts were smaller in scale. Hence, bows didn't give many advantages. So, they were gradually replaced by kunai and shuriken."

I nodded in understanding. It did make sense.

"A pity, this is a fine work. Still, it is kind of like a memento of the past. So what if no one wants this anymore? It doesn't mean this is a waste of space," the old man smiled fondly at the bow as if remembering some past event.

Suddenly, a strange notion struck me. This bow would be perfect for me. With my sensing skills and Hidden Mist jutsu, this could be a killer combination. I didn't need to get near to kill someone with this. I just needed to check something.

"Can I give it a try?" I asked the old man.

He looked mildly surprised, but nodded at me and gestured me to the trial area where a target post was waiting. He handed me the bow and procured an arrow from inside the shop. I notched it, the old man had to correct my grip on both bow and arrow a bit, took aim; and spread out my senses. I locked on to the target post and fired it.

The arrow flew true. While it didn't hit the bullseye, it hit somewhere between the inner and outer circles. But, my suspicion was growing stronger. I inhaled and retrieved a kunai from my holster as I handed the bow to the old man. He looked at me with interest and confusion etched on his face.

But, I didn't have time for him. I flicked my kunai and it hit the bullseye. And my suspicions were correct. A brilliant smile spread across my face. Wanting to confirm once more, I retrieved the arrow and tried it once more. As it hit the inner circle this time, my smile widened.

This was perfect.

"I want to purchase this bow and some arrows," I said turning to the old man,

The old man looked stunned for a moment. But, a shrewd look came across his face. He gave me a once-over and I could see him deciding that I was an impulsive youngster, in other words, a fat sheep. I didn't mind the patronizing smile that blossomed on the old man's face.

"I don't entertain takebacks brat. Are you sure?" he asked me with barely concealed glee.

I nodded emphatically.

And the haggling began. First, he tried to fleece me completely. But I put him down real quick stating that no one else was going to buy that anytime soon. After a while, even he realized that it was better to sell it to me instead of trying to fleece me.

After about fifteen minutes, I walked out of the shop as a brand new owner of an outdated shinobi weapon, namely the bow. From outside, it looked as if I had been sold a junk, but I knew I had hit a gold mine. If my instincts were right, this could very well be my trump card.

When I tested it two things stood out to me. One, the arrows were far less noisy than kunai or shuriken. Second, the arrow was much faster and had more penetrating power. And combined with the long range, this was the perfect weapon for someone to hide and ambush multiple people. Unlike throwing kunai, I can even fire the bow in a crouched position or any other variation.

Looks like I will be buying lot more arrows than kunai in the future. And the best part is, arrows are cheaper than kunai.

 **(*****)**

When I entered home, Biwako saw me with a bow and raised an eyebrow in question. I merely shrugged and moved on. There were no questions asked. But I knew this will be reported to Hiruzen soon. But I didn't care much. This was something unique to me. If I excelled in this, this could become my identity later on.

Thus started a new routine.

Every morning, I spent hours and hours practicing archery. While it was something similar to throwing kunai, the act of stretching the bow as I twisted in midair or taking aim while running or other aspects unique to bow and arrow made it a complete workout for me. I didn't need to spend extra training hours on flexibility, hand-eye coordination, and a few other things.

After I apologized to Tsuki sensei the next morning, which he grudgingly accepted, our team went into high-intensity training mode. Suicide runs were conducted daily now. The amount of training that was given to us quadrupled. For the first time in months, I felt like I was being run ragged. If it was challenging to me, I don't need to say it was hell to both Roku and Fujita.

Speaking of Fujita, we came into an accord. More like, I decided and he started to follow. We didn't interact except when situations called for. Whenever I spoke he listened, if not, Roku made sure he listened. Still, there was some tension in the team. However, it was far better than anything we had so far.

But not all was peachy. Tsuki sensei made a couple of decisions that irked me a little. However, I decided that it didn't matter much in the long run. What mattered was our survival and I was willing to bow my head if it would keep me alive through this war.

The first was the most dissatisfactory one. But, considering how it was announced barely a week after our D-rank fiasco, I didn't feel like protesting much. I think even Tsuki sensei expected me to protest when he announced Fujita will be second-in-command. That is, in the absence of Tsuki sensei we must listen to Fujita. The reason he stated was that I need to learn to respect authority. I merely eyed him and sighed in my head. I knew this was going to be a colossal mistake down the line.

The second decision was made based on team composition. Tsuki sensei announced that Roku will be the close-range expert of the team, Fujita - midrange, and finally me as the long-range expert of the team. It was fundamentally wrong on multiple accounts. While I could understand how making Roku the close range expert played to her strengths, I could also see the enemy nin, giving her the slip far too easily.

Roku should ideally be a support to either me or Fujita, considering how she was much more focused on destructive power than technique. That way, we could have executed many Taijutsu tactics like me and Fujita boxing in the opponent and Roku finishing him off, but with this new decision, we had to work around it.

Fujita as a mid-range was ideal. His fire jutsus and taijutsu were perfect for it. Most Uchihas were mid to close range. So, it wasn't much of a surprise for me. But, putting me in long range was a brain scratcher to me. Because I haven't revealed to my teammates regarding my archery training. Ideally, being the best in taijutsu, I must be the close range specialist. However, the reason Tsuki sensei gave made sense to me.

"As a sensor, you are more of backup oriented shinobi than combat oriented one. Roku, on the other hand, would eventually become a taijutsu specialist. This would allow both Roku and you to improve on your respective skills."

That was true. Very few sensors became a combat oriented shinobis. And, almost all of Akimichis were taijutsu specialists. I merely shrugged and took sensei on his word. Anyway, this worked out fine for me too.

But, some part of me was not entirely happy with the decision.

Regardless, things continued on uninterrupted. After about another month or so, Tsuki sensei started us on tree walking. Only, he wasn't pleased to know that I already knew it as it threw his training plan off. He tried to introduce me to water walking to which I sheepishly replied I know that too. In the end, I was allowed to pursue my own personal training until Roku and Fujita mastered tree walking.

Fujita mastered it in a week or so. But, Roku had much trouble with it. So, sensei assigned her a lot of chakra control exercises. Fujita requested another week of exception as he was undergoing some clan training that was more rigorous and couldn't join team training at that time. So, it was decided Fujita and I will be doing our personal training while sensei took care of Roku's training for two weeks.

Meanwhile, I had immersed myself in barrier seals and I have to say things were coming along well. Still, it was difficult for me to actually understand a few concepts as Kushina wasn't around. One such block was what led to me to an interesting event.

I hopped over the fence surrounding the training ground and a bizarre scene came into my sight. A genin was trying to get a rise out of a chunin while a girl was trying very hard to control the genin. I knew the trio alright. It was Team Minato.

I heard from Biwako that Minato and his team were in the village. So, I dropped by to clear some doubts I was having with barrier seals. However, I didn't expect to see Obito shouting at Kakashi like Kakashi had set Obito's dress on fire, only for Kakashi to continue ignoring him. As I watched Rin trying to mediate, I could see a definite resemblance to my own team. Only, their team had a sort of camaraderie to them.

I idly wondered whether my team would have the same sort of camaraderie after few missions outside Konoha.

I might have made some noise, maybe a snicker, because Kakashi looked up at me and scowled.

"What are you doing here Senju?" Kakashi asked rudely.

"It doesn't concern you Hatake," I replied smoothly as I made my way towards the trio.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Obito eyeing me speculatively. Rin graced me with a small smile. I had run into her a few times in the past as she sometimes trailed after Kushina. I smiled back at her causing Obito to scowl at me.

"This is our training ground Senju," Kakashi replied in a superior tone, "so your presence here concerns me."

"Yeah, get lost Senju," Obito piped up in support for Kakashi causing Kakashi's eyebrows to raise.

"Obito kun, be polite," Rin chastised him in return before I could say something.

"Sorry Rin chan," Obito replied sheepishly.

"Hey Rin, are you still hanging around with these idiots?" I asked with a smirk knowing full well calling Kakashi an idiot was grounds for challenging him to a spar.

"Hey, watch your mouth Senju, or else you will be spending time in Hospital wing." Obito was the first to respond angrily.

Kakashi merely scowled at me.

"You can try. Your cousin has been trying for the past two months. He is nowhere near," I replied with a smile and an invitation.

"Stop it Hato kun. You too Obito," Rin said sternly deriding any arguments Obito was coming up with.

"Why are you here?" Kakashi asked without any preamble.

"That's none of your business," I replied smoothly with a smile.

Ever since that run-in near the cemetery, I have run into Kakashi a few times. And I have taken a new form of sadistic pleasure in trying to irritate him as much as possible. He wasn't any better either. He has taken to giving me backhanded insults as reply every time.

"Then, may I ask why are you here?" Minato's voice sounded behind me scaring the hell out of me.

I haven't even known when he had arrived. It was really scary. Kakashi made a face at my reaction. I scowled at him in reply.

"Oh, Minato sensei. That was awesome," Obito said in near hero worship.

"Thank you Obito," Minato smiled at him and turned a stern eye to me. "Now, why are you here antagonizing my team?"

"Oh hold on Minato san, I came to see you that's all," I replied.

"Reason," he asked tilting his head mildly.

"Need some help with this. Kushina's not in the village," I replied with a smile,

"Why would I help you?" Minato asked with a smile.

I knew he was merely jesting. Still, I needed to make it clear that he didn't have an option.

"You can refuse, but I don't think you will want to explain to Kushina why you didn't help," I replied with a cheeky grin.

Minato's smile froze. I was sure he was imagining what kind of a conversation that might be. Behind me, Kakashi snorted as he too realized that Minato had no choice.

"Oh Hato kun, that was devious," Rin chuckled at me causing Obito to scowl.

I wondered how anyone missed Obito's feelings for Rin. It was as clear as possible. If anyone bothered to actually see him around Rin, it would be very obvious. Maybe, Minato knew already.

"What would you like my help with?" Minato asked schooling his face into somewhat normal.

"Some of these are quite confusing. Need some help here," I handed in the scroll in which I had noted down my questions.

"These are barrier seals," Minato noted as he pursued my scroll.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow beside me. Obito edged forward to peek in a look only for Rin to drag him back and reprimand him silently. He graced her with a sheepish look. Their interaction was filled with so much innocence that I had to turn away. It was hard watching them knowing how their fate was going to turn out to be.

"Barrier seals are not my specialty," Minato grimaced, "I am sure you have some of the basics down. Most of your questions are quite advanced, I can't help you there. It looks as if you are planning to create a unique barrier seal of your own."

He asked curiously eyeing my notes. I nodded in return.

"This is more of a long term project. I don't think I will finish this anytime soon," I replied shrugging my shoulders.

"But, this looks interesting. I can see some aspects of time and space here. What is it?"

"Hmm, I haven't figured it out yet. I have an idea, but implementing it would be way too hard. You can call this my goal in sealing," I smiled.

"I understand," Minato smiled. "I am close to finishing mine. But, if you have any other queries regarding time and space you can come to me. But, barrier seals are not my specialty. If it is basics, I can help you. But this is more of Kushina's specialty."

I nodded to indicate that I understood. I let out a huge sigh. Looks like I have wait for Kushina. But, there wasn't much time left.

"Tell you what, I heard Jiraiya sensei is in the village. He may drop by to see me sometime today or tomorrow, I will ask him to come see you."

"The pervert is in the village," I asked in genuine surprise.

Obito and Kakashi gave me a hard look for insulting one of the Sannin. It was their luck that they didn't know the man as much as I know yet. Soon, they will understand why I called him so soon enough.

Rin merely giggled with her hand on the mouth. She knew I had adopted calling Jiraiya as a pervert from Kushina. The kinds of rant she went on about Jiraiya were legendary. Minato merely had an understanding smile. It didn't bother him that I was calling his sensei names. We both know Jiraiya wouldn't be upset.

"Then I will try to track him down. I don't want Biwako san seeing me interacting with him unsupervised," I said with a shudder running through me.

The last time that happened, both Jiraiya and I were subjected to her disapproval. Jiraya quickly left the village, throwing me to the wolves. That traitor…

"Completely understandable," Minato said sagely trying to hide his amusement.

I scowled at him in reply, only for a full-blown smile to blossom on is face. I huffed and vacated the spot soon. Rin's giggles and Minato's amused laughter followed me as I left the training ground.

Whatever, I had pervert to track down.

 **(*****)**

Thank Kami that Jiraiya was in his predictable peeping spots - the hot springs. I knew that sentence sounded wrong on many levels, but I can't help but be glad as to where I found him. Imagine a kid skulking through brothels and pubs trying to find a grown man. That would be disturbing on various levels just on principle alone.

As I saw him in his ever glorious outfit and thick silvery mane of hair, I couldn't help but smile. While I could understand his interest in the opposite sex, he had an unhealthy amount of interest. As I watched him giggle to himself with an inordinate amount of glee, occasionally muttering stuff that no kid should hear, I couldn't help smirk evilly as a wicked idea popped into my head.

I cleared my throat and adjusted it to suit my needs, hoping that this would work. I slowly made my way to stand behind him and craned a little to raise to his head level. I couldn't help but notice how easy it was to near him without his notice once I suppressed my chakra when he was otherwise engrossed.

"Jiraya! What have I told you about peeping on women?!" I said in the best impression of Biwako's voice.

The screams that came out from the ponds were nothing compared to what came out of Jiraiya himself. He jumped in the air and backpedaled so hard that he fell through the bush in plain view of all the bathing females.

Another round of screeching ensued. I couldn't hold myself anymore as I fell back laughing my ass off. Jiraya fearfully poked his head out of the bushes expecting to see Biwako, only to find me rolling on the floor laughing and pointing at him. He sent a scowl in my direction.

Before he could do anything, a stone bounced off his head making me laugh harder. He looked back to find an angry horde of females getting out of hot springs and preparing to chase him. That sight of a horde of angry females was enough for him to gulp and book it immediately. I yelped as Jiraya unceremoniously picked me up and deposited me on his shoulders as he ran as if his life depended on it. It might well have, for a horde of females were chasing after us now.

After running for a while Jiraya deposited me on the ground roughly and checked his surroundings to make sure there weren't any females in the vicinity. I was still laughing my ass off, rolling on the ground.

"What was that for, brat?" Jiraiya scowled at me.

"For... leaving me... with Biwako... all alone... last time," I said amidst my laughter.

He looked at me for a moment before grunting in acceptance, "you have a point brat."

I sat up and fixed Jiraiya with my best glare, all laughter gone, "Don't eve do it again!" I said in a warning voice.

"Right, right," Jiraiya smiled apologetically.

"Do you know the worst part," I asked not letting go of the topic. "She informed Kushina that I was hanging out with you. Can you imagine, Kushina and Biwako, argh" I finished with a shudder.

Jiraiya paled just imagining that combination.

"I'm really sorry," he said with genuine emotion.

I waved it off, "Whatever, I still have one particular day to look forward to; when Tsunade finds out what Biwako found you teaching me," I said grinning evilly.

Jiraiya looked almost as if he was going to faint. I am sure that was one day he wasn't looking forward to at all.

"I sincerely hope that day never arrives," Jiraiya said solemnly.

"Anyways, I need your help with something," I said fishing out my scroll filled with my questions and threw it to him.

He caught it out of the air, but merely pocketed it instead of pursuing it.

"So, what's this about?"

"I'm trying to create a barrier seal. Need some input on how to go about it," I replied getting up from my position.

"Ask Kushina brat. Stop wasting my time. She is your fuinjutsu teacher and she knows more about barrier seals than me," Jiraiya said as we both started walking towards the village center.

"Can't, she's been deployed," I said shrugging my shoulders.

As I eyed Jiraya from the corner of my eye, I could see him taking in the information I had said and cataloging it in his mind. He seemed to be as if in immersed in his own thoughts, no doubt realizing the situation for Konoha to deploy Kushina. A slight grimace graced his face as he walked with me.

"So, what are you doing with your free time now?" Jiraiya asked as we rounded a corner and entered the main street leading to the Hokage Tower.

"This and that," I answered vaguely. "Just brushing up on my taijutsu and seals mostly."

"That was annoyingly vague," Jiraiya grunted.

"Can't help it," I stuck my tongue out in a childish manner knowing full well Jiraiya hated me acting like a child.

"So, how's your team coming along?"

"I'm in a team with an Uchiha. You tell me how it should come along," I replied with a little bite.

"Kami, are they out of their mind?" Jiraiya asked in annoyance.

"Don't know," I replied shaking my head.

"Anyway, I have to report to sensei. See you in the evening. Orochimaru and I will be dropping by for dinner."

"Sure," I said amicably.

Having Orochimaru for dinner has become a semi-regular occurrence these days. Strangely enough, it didn't bother me much these days. Guess I am getting desensitized to the snake bastard's presence. I waved Jiraiya goodbye as we split up outside the Hokage tower.

 **(*****)**

Dinner was a quiet affair. Asuma and I talked about the new techniques we were learning. He bemoaned the fact that there are no proper wind natured shinobis in leaf. Luckily, he had a secondary affinity for fire. So, he was being instructed in a few fire natured techniques.

"Good for you," I groused. "I have learned most of nature techniques by myself. After Kushina left, I am having trouble in understanding some of the things the scrolls were saying."

Silence enveloped the dinner table as both Hiruzen and Orochimaru stopped whatever they were discussing with Jiraiya abruptly. It was jarring enough that Asuma and I looked up from dinner in confusion.

"Hato kun, you shouldn't be having any trouble considering your sensei's chakra nature is water," Orochimaru said in his snaky tone.

"Huh, who knew, maybe I should start asking sensei," I shrugged and went back to dinner.

"Are you telling me that your sensei hasn't begun teaching you jutsus?" Hiruzen interrupted me with a frown on his face.

"We haven't gotten around to that. Maybe, we will start after this week," I replied taking another bite of my dinner.

"He should have begun it by now," Orochimaru looked at Hiruzen as if it was all his fault.

Jiraiya merely looked between them with a shrewd look on his face. I paused in my eating realizing that there was an undercurrent to this discussion. I wondered if I had messed things again with my big mouth. I didn't want any more pressure to be added to Tsuki sensei. Not when things are going relatively fine.

"We have been working hard on our stamina and endurance. Past two weeks, things have been hell. I think sensei was waiting for us to reach a certain level before delving into jutsus," I offered an explanation hoping it would satisfy Hiruzen.

Hiruzen seemed to process the statement before nodding to me.

"And what level would that be?" Orochimaru asked snidely.

"Hmmm, tree walking?" I offered hesitantly.

Orochimaru snorted loudly, "You were already doing that about a year ago."

"Not my teammates though," I defended vehemently. I didn't like where this was going, "We all need to be at a certain level before we take out of village missions."

"Then, what about your improvement. Don't tell me you haven't improved in anything in the last few months brat," Orochimaru enquired testily.

"Who said, my endurance has increased tremendously. So are my sensor skills," I replied back with heat.

"Is that all?" Orochimaru looked skeptical.

"It doesn't matter how strong I am if my teammates are not up to a certain level. The disparity will only lead to issues with our teamwork," I replied back heatedly.

"He has a point, Orochimaru," Hiruzen interrupted mildly. "I trust Tsuki. I am sure he will do what's necessary for his team. He is as invested in the team as one could be."

"I doubt it," Orochimaru replied sarcastically.

I gritted my teeth.

"Regardless, tomorrow you will be sparing with me, brat. If I am not satisfied with your performance, I will be having some words with your sensei," Orochimaru announced before turning to his dinner.

"What's it to you, anyway?" I asked in irritation.

"I hate to see potential wasted," Orochimaru replied with a sneer.

"Both of you, calm down," Biwako interrupted us with a stern tone causing us both to huff and turn to our dinner.

"Hato kun, Orochimaru is just worried for you," Biwako stated in an admonishing tone to me.

"I doubt it," I muttered to myself as I gulped down my dinner as fast I could so that I could leave.

"Sheesh, you two never get along, do you?" Asuma joked with a small smile.

"Why don't you try then?" I snapped back.

"Nope, I am fine as I am," Asuma stated with a smile as dinner continued on.

When the dinner was done, Orochimaru and Jiraiya bid goodbye to us. Jiraya tossed me a scroll which contained answers for my questions before leaving. Orochimaru smiled deviously and said, "eight of clock brat. Come to Training Ground 15."

I merely scowled in reply.


	22. Chapter 22 - An Empty Heart

**A/N: A heartfelt thanks for all your love and support (and even criticisms). A loud hurray for the fic reaching 500 favs and almost 700 follows.**

* * *

No matter what it indicated, I can't help but be eager to spar with Orochimaru. I packed all my items, including the bow and arrows which had never left home, determined to showcase all I had learned in the past few years.

I had no illusions as to who was going to win the spar. So, victory was never in my sight. All it mattered was to know how long I was going to keep Orochimaru at bay. I was also sure that he will be going a little easy on me. But, even then it would be a miracle if I lasted for more than ten minutes. Most likely I would be handed my ass soon before that.

But, my goal was that exact ten minutes. If I can keep Orochimaru at bay for ten minutes, I was ready for the war. I was going to use each and every trick and strategy I had thought of in the past few years.

I reached Training Ground 15 a few minutes before eight. Anko, who was waiting for Orochimaru, eyed me suspiciously. I merely shrugged and sat down some distance away from her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

"Orochimaru wants to spar with me," I said noncommittally.

Anko looked at me as if I was lying, before scoffing at me. "You are very weak. Even I could beat you easily. Why would shishou want to spar with me?"

I smiled at her confidence. I was not entirely confident that I could beat Anko currently. But, I was pretty sure that I will be giving her a run for her money. Her assertion as to how easily she would defeat me was amusing to me. But, I didn't rise to the bait. This was Orochimaru's apprentice. She would definitely know some major jutsus. If not, Orochimaru would feel as if it was a personal insult to him.

"To measure his progress," Orochimaru replied as he appeared behind me.

"Oh, Ok," Anko said unperturbed, "Shishou is going to beat you in five seconds."

"I certainly hope not," Orochimaru spoke silkily.

I merely turned my head and smiled at him.

"Are you ready?" Orochimaru asked me.

I didn't reply. I merely rose from my position and took my position a few feet away from him.

"Then, let's proceed," Orochimaru said, "I will spar with you at chunin level."

Anko groaned beside me and said it that it wouldn't be interesting at all. I merely smiled at her and looked at Orochimaru.

"Low Jounin," I said to him.

He merely raised his eyebrow, "Careful Hato kun, don't bite off more than you can chew."

"I need to know if I am capable of holding my own against a normal jounin," I replied.

"Kukukuku, your wish," he gestured for me to attack him.

I wasted no time in springing back to create some distance while launching a bunch of kunai at him. It had been one of the first maneuvers I had practiced hard on. The execution was to my satisfaction.

Orochimaru looked at me in surprise. I was sure he was expecting me to engage him in Taijutsu as he was a Ninjutsu specialist. But, I had other ideas. He dodged them without much effort only to find out that I had attached explosive tags to them. He quickly retreated to escape the explosion.

But, it was all the time I needed to execute the **Hidden Mist Jutsu** and envelop almost half of the training ground. I could hear Anko's surprised shout from the distance as the mist enveloped her.

Orochimaru snorted at my tactics. But it was tinged with amusement. I didn't pay him much attention as I went through a practiced set of hand seals.

"Nice strategy to reduce your opponent's sight, Hato kun. But what about you? Ah! You are a sensor, right. I almost forgot. Good combination, indeed."

I neared Orochimaru and launched a set of kunai, which he effortlessly ducked underneath and before I could disengage, he arrived at my location. I cursed internally and reluctantly engaged him in Taijutsu.

I wasn't looking to fully commit, my motive was to create some distance and try another route of attack. I think Orochimaru expected me to fully commit if only for a few seconds. I used his defensive stance to launch myself away, back into the mist.

As I stalked Orochimaru and attacked him occasionally, I could see him employing his own sensing skills to move towards me. Unfortunately for him, I was far too good at hiding myself in the mist after months of practice. But, Orochimaru was Orochimaru. Well, into the second minute he cornered me before I could escape.

With no other option available, I engaged in full on taijutsu. It was chaotic in the mist. I was tossed around like a rag doll, but I managed to avoid getting a critical hit for about a minute. But, all good things must come to an end.

As I jumped high into the air to avoid a low sweep, which turned out to be a feint, Orochimaru's fist caught me in midair. It was immediately followed by a critical chop to the neck. Unable to avoid, I groaned as the chop connected perfectly.

Only for Orochimaru to stare in surprise, as the bunshin dissolved into water. Far away in a tree covered in the mist, I let go off the arrow as it streaked through the mist. Orochimaru felt the arrow coming towards him and ducked.

If only it was a kunai, he would have escaped unscathed. But, the arrow managed to graze his neck. I could feel Orochimaru's presence rising as he felt that it was way too close to his liking. The next moment I could feel him performing a set of hand seals. I didn't like it one bit. Engaging in a jutsu war with Orochimaru was suicidal.

I fired arrow after arrow at him. But he dodged them effortlessly as he finished the sequence.

 **Wind Style: Great Breakthrough**

A furious gale ripped through the area heading directly to me. I bolted away with no second thoughts. The mist I had created was blown away and I was exposed midair. I could hear Anko gasp as I twisted in midair, took aim, and unleashed another arrow.

Orochimaru let lose a kunai to intercept it and followed up with closing the distance. I jumped back, firing another arrow. He dodged with incredible agility that eerily resembled a snake twisting in on itself. I put the bow back across my shoulders and completed my own set of hand seals as he neared and shot out a Water Bullet.

And for good measure, I chucked another kunai attached with explosive tag. I watched him dodge the water bullet, but get caught by the kunai. I stopped in surprise not expecting such a thing to happen. Only to find out that it was a mud clone. I cursed and sent my senses exploring.

I jumped away hastily as he emerged from the ground. I twisted midair and unleashed another arrow. He merely batted it aside, only to find this one containing an explosive tag. He hastily pulled off a substitution and tried to close the gap again.

As keen as he was to close the distance, I was also that keen to keep away. I ducked under his kick, rolled through to create distance and rose with an arrow to his face. He swayed away and reduced the distance I had created fast. Reluctantly, I engaged him in taijutsu. It was fierce and kind of scary knowing that this time it was my real body instead of the clone.

I got several bruises in a matter of moments as I defended as hard as I could trying to keep away. When that particular combo began I cursed mentally knowing that this time he was going in for the kill.

Just when it looked like he was going to finish me off, he stopped mid kick and retreated to a distance, causing me to curse wildly. I took the final step and a barrier sprang up before me which would have, **and should have** , trapped Orochimaru.

But the bastard was too clever. He sensed it activating and escaped before it could be activated. If only he had gone for the kill.

He looked at me with a slight smile.

"Very good, Hato kun. You made it look like you were avoiding Taijutsu to lure me in so that you can trap me with a barrier," he smiled at me appreciatively.

I didn't know how to respond. Everything went as per plan, but at the last moment, he had escaped without a single scratch. I scowled at him. That barrier was nowhere near to keep someone like Orochimaru trapped. Nevertheless, it would have brought me valuable time to escape if I came across someone like Orochimaru.

"But, this looks like a mere trapping barrier. It wouldn't last for long against a Jounin," Orochimaru too noted it.

"If I am fighting a Jounin, my first priority should be to escape," I muttered irritably.

"Very true," Orochimaru's smile brightened, "at least you know your strengths. Far too many shinobis die trying to take on someone above their level. But, I am sure most Jounin would fall for this."

"Not you though," I muttered sullenly.

"Yes, because I could feel a seal activating. Not many people have intimate knowledge in fuinjutsu to notice it. This would be a very good trap. I am impressed," Orochimaru said.

A strange feeling of accomplishment washed through me. A compliment from Orochimaru, I had to only look at Anko's stunned face to know how rare it was. I realized that it was the very first compliment I had obtained for my fighting skills. Despite who it came from, I couldn't help but feel pleased.

"And an out-of-fashion weapon," Orochimaru asked curiously.

"It has its advantages," I shrugged in return.

"As I noticed," Orochimaru placed a hand on his neck and removed to reveal a thin streak of blood there.

"You made shishou bleed," Anko gasped in shock.

"It should have got him," I grumbled in reply."His reactions are too fast."

"You should be proud Hato kun, very few have actually made me bleed," Orochimaru replied in amusement.

"So, what's the verdict?" I asked hoping I made a good show.

"I am sure you still have a few more tricks up your sleeve, but before that, I am curious about your barrier. When did you set it up?" Orochimaru asked earnestly.

"Didn't, I got the idea from Summoning contracts. Summoning is basically a time-space ninjutsu. But, I also noticed the summoning seal being created when you actually perform it. I researched a bit and found seals could be made by chakra. I drew it while fighting you with my feet. It's very loose, but if I had more time I could have set up a better seal. This one is atrocious."

"I didn't realize your taijutsu being that good," Orochimaru commented intrigued.

"Its something I have been experimenting on recently. No one notices leaving chakra traces on the ground. It is the perfect way to do it. But, the downfall is that since you are moving around too much, all you could create is a basic barrier just to last for a few seconds. But, it will give a momentary advantage,"

"Maybe I should make Anko practice it," Orochimaru said with a thoughtful look.

"It's hard," I grimaced, "I could concentrate much better while sparring with my teammates. They aren't that good. But this is the first time I had to test it against a jounin. It's very very taxing. It should have been up halfway into the spar, but you kept interrupting me. I had to discontinue a couple of times. She would need to be very well versed in both taijutsu and sealing to create even a basic seal."

"I see," Orochimaru nodded along as I explained its difficulties. "Guess its a bit impractical for her to practice then."

"Regardless, you have passed the test to my satisfaction. I won't interfere with your team affairs. But don't waste this potential of yours. You have quite a few unique ideas. Make sure you develop them in the future, they show good promise."

I nodded in reply. While outside I looked stoic, I was dancing a jig inside. To receive such praise from Orochimaru made me feel insanely elated. I was sure if it had been any other Jounin, I could have trapped him.

"I look forward to see how much you grow, Hato kun" Orochimaru said with a creepy smile as he motioned Anko to follow him.

I suppressed a shiver that ran through my body. The look he had in his eyes as he left was similar to someone looking at a delicious new dish that they wanted to devour. There was a certain kind of hunger in those eyes.

I chastised myself for being so foolish. Orochimaru was a master of manipulation, second only to Danzo. It didn't matter how happy his praises made me. There was a reason I was keeping my distance from the snake bastard. In that small interaction, I had almost forgotten who he was and what he had been capable of doing in the future.

My jubilation squashed, I sullenly collected all the arrows that I had let fly during the spar. I idly noted that Orochimaru had only used at most two to three kunai during the whole fight. That was some scary level of efficiency, I had to admit. All the while, a kind of yearning was in the back of my mind.

If only Tsuki sensei would praise me like this….

 **(*****)**

Poof

Poof

Two billowing clouds of smoke dissipated to show two salamanders emerging from them. Mizoka and Chikyuhanta smiled at me toothily as I petted them.

"You seem to be less stressed," Mizoka noted taking in my scent.

I nodded in reply before explaining, "I have some confidence in surviving this war now."

"Oh, what happened?"

"I held my own against Orochimaru for more than five minutes," I replied with a smile.

"Orochimaru, the snake summoner?" Chikyu asked eagerly.

"Yeah," I replied as I stood up.

"Don't trust him. Snakes are all bad," Mizoka stated with conviction.

"Is he strong?" Chikyu piped up beside her.

"Yes, he is next in line to be the Hokage," I said with a bit of pride for my accomplishment leaking through my voice.

"That is like second-in-command for Anakin sama," Mizoka explained noticing the confusion on Chikyu's face.

Chikyu beamed at me.

I merely smiled in response before asking, "Shall we start?"

They both nodded eagerly. We ran through some of the combination techniques we could use if needed and I explained to them about which of my strategies worked with Orochimaru and which didn't.

We discussed in this manner for sometime before running through some of the ideas each of us has come up with since I last summoned them. After some more practice, both of them bid me farewell and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

(*****)

C-rank jutsus were introduced to our team practice session by Tsuki sensei a week later. I was assigned to read on some really boring water natured chakra theory to make me know in which ways water would interact with various elements. Roku and Fujita weren't doing any better either.

Roku turned out to have Akimichi clan's signature yang release affinity. There were no surprises there. Considering her abundance of yang chakra, even Roku didn't seem surprised with the revelation, but she did look a bit upset though. It was clear from her expression that she wanted to spit fire or water like me or Fujita. Then again, I can't fault her. Even I was excited at the prospect of spitting fire. Who wouldn't?

Our team makeup was such that no combination techniques could be used easily. Steam release is an option if both Fujita and I work together. Even Tsuki sensei looked skeptical as he informed us of the possibility. So, combination attacks were thrown out the window with no preamble.

As support and long ranged shinobi, it was stressed repeatedly that I need to coordinate with others as per need in any capacity possible. As the sessions progressed and we did more D-ranks, the chemistry between Roku and me increased dramatically. We mostly worked together in Taijutsu seeing that it was going to be our team's specialty - that was decided after a lot of speculation.

Combination Taijutsu was a pain to defend against, especially when it is a combination of pure power and excellent technique. Whenever I had to take on both Roku and Fujita, it was a literal nightmare to me. Roku's power supplemented by Fujita's technique made it hard for me to defend to the best of my abilities. But still, I was able to hold my own against them. The good news was that my taijutsu skills were raising dramatically after being at a standstill for a number of months. And it indeed did made me glad.

On the other hand, Fujita was struggling to defend even barely whenever Roku and I teamed up. If his defense isn't shattered by Roku's power, he saw me getting under his defense frequently. It made him be short with both of us for the rest of the training session. While it isn't anything new to me, I could see it was hurting Roku very much. Initially, I wanted to chastise him for that but I couldn't bring myself to do it considering how tumultuous our relationship was. I mean, it was barely hanging by the thread and it would be foolish to rock the boat.

But, me and Fujita teaming up against Roku can only be described as catastrophic. Fujita hogged most of the spar not giving me any space to work with. Still, I managed to assist him to the best of my abilities. But, the result was that Roku lasted far longer than she should last. Which, in turn, made Fujita look bad as he was the one who lasted only for a short period of time.

His occasional temper tantrums resulting from his displeasure had a benefit for me though. Roku preferred to spend time with me whenever it happened. We never discussed Fujita, we simply hung out, had dango or barbeque, discussed what we had learned recently. I helped her out with a few chakra control exercises she had trouble with. I was just happy to have a friend other than Harami. It felt good and uplifting.

Very soon Fujita realized that him taking his temper out on both Roku and me was only driving Roku away from him. He tried to keep it under wraps for a while hoping that Roku would spend more time with him. But a connection made was a connection made. While Roku didn't neglect Fujita, she also tried to spend time equally with me. I was grateful for the fact that she didn't immediately abandon me.

Months rolled around and war became more and more brutal. Reports of various shinobis dying on the field trickled in. Day after day, name after name was added to the Memorial stone. The memorial stone saw more visitors daily than it had seen in the last few years I remember.

Still, one grave was ever lonely.

I visited Sakumo Hatake's grave semi-regularly. Nothing fancy, just dropping by and placing a flower on his grave, silently ruminating about my recent actions in front of his grave. It was kind of peaceful, not having to share it with anyone else. I probably should feel bad about it, but it was not as if anyone else was going to visit him.

I still occasionally saw three sets of flowers on his grave though.

But all things considered, I could feel that the time was short. I could feel that it wouldn't be long before we were sent out. And it was confirmed seven months after Team 27 was formed.

I sat beside my teammates as Tsuki sensei paced before us uncharacteristically in our usual training ground one day. His face was set grim, jaws tight, shoulders stiff as he paced before us.

"In case if you lot haven't figured it out by now, Team 27 has a specialty," Tsuki sensei spoke as he came to a stop before us. His posture was tense and it looked like he was trying hard not to panic.

I idly wondered what could make him panic. But, deep inside me, I knew the time was up.

"Your specialty is assault. You are a combat oriented team. What that means is that you will be seeing the frontlines a lot more from now on," Tsuki sensei continued gravely eyeing each of us with a stern expression.

"All three of you have to potential to be frontline fighters, whether be it in a support category or outright frontal confrontation. It is the reason you haven't been doing any C rank missions for seven months. Usually, genin teams take on C rank missions in the third or fourth month. I am sure you would have noticed that the other teams who had graduated with you are already performing C rank missions."

I haven't noticed that. But, from the nods Fujita and Roku were giving, it looked like they had noticed it.

"The village wanted you to have time to grow. The time for playing around and being safe inside the village is done. From tomorrow, you will be thrust into the frontlines in one capacity or the other. I hope each and every one of you understands the gravity of it. One mistake, and it might very well lead to all our deaths."

My stomach dropped. It was beginning….

"You will meet me at the Hokage Tower at nine o clock tomorrow. We will be receiving our first C rank mission," Tsuki sensei concluded in a grave voice.

Fujita nodded excitedly. From his looks, it was clear that he was glad to be shot off boring D rank missions. Roku looked somewhat scared, but I could see the excitement in her eyes too. It was a strange mix of emotions to see on her face.

I, on the other hand, was entirely silent. As the words slowly sank into my mind, I realized that a normal kid will be excited to be doing C ranks. However, I was neither a kid nor normal. Dread and trepidation were the only emotions I could feel.

I think Tsuki sensei saw it clearly in my face. For a second, I saw his face soften into understanding. But, the next moment the stoic face was on. He nodded at me and I nodded back.

"You are dismissed," Tsuki sensei said before leaving in a swirl of leaves.

Immediately, Fujita leaped up jumping high into the air in excitement. I watched as he excitedly babbled to Roku about finally getting a C rank mission and how excited he was for it. It seemed as if the excitement infected Roku too, as she too jumped up and down excitedly. I merely watched the duo from the sidelines shaking my head.

If only they knew what they were getting into….

I sighed and turned to leave the training ground, only for Roku to stop me.

"Hato kun, do you want to come get some dango?" she asked excitedly.

I turned around intending to reject her offer, but I saw her excitement falter taking one look at my face.

"What's wrong?" she asked hurriedly.

"Nothing," I replied with a strained smile.

"Can we go get dango together as a team to celebrate this?"

Nope… I didn't want to celebrate this. That was the last thing to do with such a piece of news on my mind. But, taking one look at her hopeful face I sighed knowing that I didn't want to bring down her excitement.

"Sure," I said in what I hoped an excited tone.

"You aren't scared, are you? I mean, look at you. You look like a scaredy cat," Fujita butted in roughly.

For months we have been getting along fine and I didn't want to say something rude and set him off today. So, I merely shrugged and motioned Roku that we need to get going.

"I need to tell my Tou san. He will be so pleased that I am being sent on C rank missions," Fujita exclaimed loudly. "I will catch up with you Roku chan, but I need to inform my Tou san as soon as possible."

I blinked in surprise. I didn't expect Fujita to take off that suddenly.

"Forgive him, he is very excited about being assigned to C rank/ He has been complaining about it for a long time. Just that sensei wouldn't budge."

I nodded in acceptance.

"What about you? You don't look that excited," Roku asked eyeing me from the corner of his eyes.

"Not really," I replied. "And I don't think your Tou san will be excited either," I mumbled under my breath. However, Roku heard it.

"Why?"

"You will learn soon," I said not willing to bring down her excitement.

"Whenever you say something like that, it always comes back to bite me. You said the same thing when Fujita was caught by Orochimaru san," she pointed out irritably.

"I guess I pick up on a few things earlier than you guys," I replied noncommittally not wanting to get dragged into explaining this particular statement.

"Hmmmph," Roku huffed adorably, her large cheeks blowing out more air than normal, "we will see."

"So, what are your plans after getting dango?" I asked trying to divert the topic.

"I am going to rub it in Minami chan's face that I am going on C ranks. They messed up their last C rank and are being punished with D ranks for the next few weeks."

"That's mean," I smiled in reply.

"Not when she has been doing it for the last three months," Roku replied irritably causing me to smile.

"Eh, maybe not," I replied in return.

"Oi Senju Baka!"

Harami's voice drowned out any reply Roku might have made. A smile blossomed on my face as I looked around to see her running towards me fast from the dango store.

"Harami," I greeted in surprise.

Before I could introduce Roku to her, she grabbed my arms and started dragging me to the store. Roku snickered beside me as I tried to resist her. But, it was to no avail. When it comes to dango, Harami was as crazy as Kushina and her Ramen.

"What's the hurry?" I tried to ask her as she dragged me, "Wait, wait. I was already going there."

But, Harami didn't relent. She willfully dragged me. I shrugged my shoulders in apology to Roku. She merely smiled and followed us. Once we were in front of the shop, Harami stopped to turn and order me.

"Get me dango,"

"Huh? Why don't you get it?"

"I don't have my money pouch, you baka!" she screeched causing me to wince.

"Ahan," I smirked evilly. "What makes you think I will buy you dango?"

"You will," she stated vehemently, "or else…"

"Or else what?"

Harami smiled sweetly at me causing me to have a bad feeling.

"Or else, I will tell Biwako san that you were hanging around with Jiraiya sama near hot springs."

"That's a lie," I gulped.

"Yeah, but I am sure Biwako san would trust me more than you or Jiraiya sama," she said making an innocent face.

"Tch, troublesome," I muttered as I fished out the money to buy three dango sticks knowing full well that Biwako would believe her over me in this particular thing.

As the shopkeeper handed me three dango sticks, Harami tried to take two for her own. I swatted her aside and gave one to Roku.

"Who's this?" Harami asked as she took a bite out of her dango stick.

"Roku… my teammate," I said before turning to Roku and introducing Harami, "This is Harami, a pain in the ass that is sticking to me from the academy."

Harami waved it off and took another bite out of her dango and savored it as if a drowning man gulping for air.

"Why didn't you bring your money pouch?" I asked knowing full well that Harami would never forget such a thing.

In response she made a face, "My stupid shishou took it away just because I napped a little in the afternoon."

I laughed at that. Even Roku joined with her guttural laughter only to realize and promptly squeak like a mouse.

"Hey, you sound like a…"

I hurriedly shut Harami's mouth and motioned her to not finish the sentence. She winced and nodded that she understood.

"Sorry, took me by surprise that's it," she apologized Roku seriously, who merely nodded to indicate that she understood.

"So, what's this baka doing? Is he any good?" Harami asked Roku nonchalantly as she took another bite off her dango stick.

Roku seemed as if she didn't want to speak at the moment. She cast me a pleading look hoping that I would intervene. I sighed knowing that I wasn't going to fool Harami, but I knew I had to try for Roku's sake.

"We will be going on C rank missions from tomorrow," I blurted out as it was the first thing that came to my mind.

Immediately I regretted saying it as Harami paused in her eating and eyed me with surprise. I was sure the news had just come out of the blue for her. However, that regret faded as I saw Roku shoot me a grateful look from Harami's behind.

"C ranks, as in, out of village missions?" Harami asked in a small voice.

I nodded in reply trying not to show my unease.

"And you thought it would be fine to spring that news upon me like this, in the middle of the street?" her eyebrows arched as she gave me a hard stare.

I sheepishly scratched my head, seeing her stare not softening, "Want more dango?" I offered my dango stick as a peace offering.

She eyed me and the dango stick critically, before snatching it out of my hands. I smiled apologetically.

"Are you ready?" she asked taking a large bite out of her own stick.

"As ready as I will be," I said as we continued walking to a nearby shade.

"I expect you to come back. If you don't," she paused in her threat not knowing what to say.

"I promise I will come back," I said in a solemn tone.

"Why won't he come back?" Roku asked forgetting about her voice for a second only for a blush to spread across her cheeks.

Harami looked at me with her _'Are you kidding me?'_ look. But, I staved off her tirade by speaking first.

"Its nothing Roku," I replied.

Roku looked at us in a disbelieving manner before turning her concentration to the dango stick in her hand. An awkward silence filled the air, as I avoided eye contact with Harami and she busied herself with dango.

"Roku chan," Fujita's voice broke the silence as he came bounding into the shade we were resting under.

"Tch, troublesome," Harami snorted as she saw Fujita approaching us.

I couldn't help but smile at that. Fujita scowled at the new addition to our trio but preferred to ignore Harami in favor of speaking to Roku.

"Roku chan, you are here," Fujita said as he sat by us.

"Huh, great guess genius," Harami snorted taking another bite out of her dango.

Fujita scowled thunderously.

"Why are you here Nara?"

Harami looked up from her dango with a confused expression which was so obviously fake. She looked around as if she was confirming where she was and nodded to her.

"Huh, I stay here you dumbass," Harami said shrugging.

I saw Fujita grit his teeth in frustration. I smiled fondly recalling how Harami took sadistic pleasure in nettling various students in the academy.

"Fujita stop," Roku intervened before Fujita could blow his gasket, "You too Harami chan," she added for a good measure.

I gently nudged Harami and shook my head at her. She pouted a little and made a face at me.

"Roku chan wanna come to my house later, my kaa san said she would make amnitsu. We can celebrate," Fujita said not looking at me.

"I don't know Fujita kun," Roku said doubtfully. "I have to ask my Tou san's permission."

"Your Tou san won't mind. I mean, you aren't going with…" Fujita fumbled shooting a glance at me. I saw Roku panic from the corner of my eye, "I mean, it's me right?" Fujita finished.

It fooled neither me nor Harami that he was going to say something entirely different. Harami shot me a look, I merely shrugged my shoulders in reply to her questioning look.

"I will see," Roku replied timidly recovering from her panic.

It seemed unusual. But, I let it go. It was clear from her reaction that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Are you free tonight?" Harami asked me in the ensuing silence.

"Nah, have dinner with Danzo," I said grimacing.

"Still doing etiquette lessons?" she asked with amusement.

"Nah, it was over long ago. He still insists me on meeting for dinner with me occasionally. He hadn't met with me for a while now, so I can't skip this."

"I see,"

"You take etiquette lessons Hato kun?" Roku asked intrigued.

"Yeah," I sighed not willing to explain the need for it.

Harami snorted beside me. Whether it was in amusement or for something else, I didn't know. However, Fujita didn't take kindly to it.

"What are you laughing at Nara?"

"She was laughing at me," I intervened before Harami could run her mouth again, knowing full well whatever was on her mind would surely set off Fujita.

Fujita scowled at me. But Harami's pout made it clear to me that I had done the right thing. I knew I couldn't keep this up for much longer. I needed to separate Harami from Fujita soon or else I will be having an irate Fujita to handle the entire mission.

But before I could do that, the universe pissed on my plans literally.

"You!" Anko's shout made me groan as I turned to see her running towards me like Orochimaru himself was chasing her.

"You are in trouble," Harami singsonged beside me knowing full well that I have promised Anko for a spar and later failed to turn up.

Fujita looked as if he had seen a ghost. His hands involuntarily traced his neck as he remembered his last encounter with Anko. Even, Roku looked to be on edge.

"I found you," Anko said triumphantly as she stopped before me and looked down at me.

There was a manic glee in her eyes as she eyed me. It was as if I was her prey. Considering how she had been bugging me for a spar, I was sure that analogy wouldn't be entirely inappropriate.

"Hi Anko," I said with a sheepish smile.

Anko didn't respond, she merely looked down at me with a gleeful look.

"Don't Anko, there are others here," I said in warning knowing full well that she was debating on whether to attack me or not.

"Go ahead, it will be fun to watch," Harami smiled egging Anko on.

Anko's smile only widened.

Just when I was sure that I have to leap back to avoid Anko's kunai, Fujita butted in.

"Wait, you know her?" he asked in an indignant tone.

"Get lost squirt, we have some unfinished business here," Anko snapped at him irritably.

"Who are you calling squirt?" Fujita stood up angrily.

I groaned in dismay. This was quickly getting out of hand. Harami scampered out of their way and took a seat upon a nearby tree deciding it was safe to watch from the distance. Roku looked between us uncertainly, not knowing how to react. Anko seemed torn between choosing to attack me or thrash Fujita. Her chibi face screwed up in confusion as she tried to decide which would be more fun.

Fujita, though, seemed oblivious to this. He had taken great offense to Anko calling him a squirt. Coupled with the shame of their previous meeting, I was sure he didn't need an invitation for a fight. I briefly wondered whether I should let them go at it and retreat to watch Anko thrash Fujita.

"I'm talking to you, you weirdo," Fujita shouted at Anko.

Anko's face looked as if she was moments away from bashing up Fujita.

"Anko, calm down," I implored at her hoping that she was in the mood to listen.

As soon as she heard my voice, her attention completely shifted to me entirely ignoring Fujita. She looked at me and ran her tongue across her lips in an eerily similar way to Orochimaru.

"Ooh, that looks scary," Harami chimed up from the tree causing Anko to shoot a brilliant smile at her. "My dango is getting over. Somebody fight already," Harami added in her last words with a pout.

"Hatorama Senju," Anko spoke gleefully, "I have been looking for you."

Before I could respond, Fujita butted in, "Hey, don't ignore me."

"Get lost squirt," Anko snapped not taking her eyes off me.

Before I could do anything, Fujita aimed a kick at Anko saying, "Don't call me a squirt, you weirdo."

Anko blocked it and all hell broke loose. Before I could make sense of what was going on, Anko was already attacking Fujita with far more gusto than what was required for a normal spar, and the way Fujita was fumbling to defend against her, I was sure he wasn't expecting Anko to attack him full on.

I sighed looking at the pair as Anko delivered a vicious kick to the Uchiha as she got under his guard. Fujita seemed as if the air has been knocked out of him. Anko followed with a roundhouse kick that sent Fujita flying back into a tree.

Roku winced beside me, as Fujita fell with a thud. I groaned internally knowing full well Fujita wouldn't stand down. As for Anko, any invitation to fight was fine with her. She leered at Fujita as he stood up rubbing his stomach. If the slight bruise that was forming on Fujita's cheek was any indication, Anko wasn't holding back. It looked like she was out for blood.

As Roku sent a beseeching glance at me imploring me to stop Anko, I stood up with a sigh and spoke.

"Anko, you came here to spar with me. Leave him alone,"

"I don't need your help, Senju dog. I was a bit careless. Now that I am ready, I am gonna beat this weirdo into a pulp." Fujita shouted in reply as he launched himself at Anko.

"Bring it on, squirt," Anko grinned as she ducked under his fist and came up with a counter of her own.

Knowing full well that it was not going to stop until one of them lay unable to move - mostly it seemed like Fujita will be the one biting the dust - I jumped between them despite my best judgment.

I blocked Fujita's punch with my hand and used my leg to kick away an unsuspecting Anko. Anko moved a few steps back grunting at the impact. I shoved Fujita back with a shoulder check and stood between them.

I could feel Fujita glaring daggers at me from behind as I turned and looked at Anko.

"I am going on a mission tomorrow Anko. I promise to give you a spar once I return, I want myself and my team to be hundred percent tomorrow."

Anko paused as she considered my words for a moment. She looked conflicted as to what to do.

"Hey…"

"Fujita, shut up. Don't create another problem for me to clean up," I interrupted him testily.

I could feel Fujita bristle at my insinuation. Something told me that either Fujita was going to stand down or attack me. So, I readied myself to respond in kind if Fujita chose the latter.

"Fujita kun, please," Roku spoke just when it looked as if Fujita was going to attack me.

Her words made him pause. I turned to look at him taking my eyes off Anko knowing that if Anko was going to attack she would have attacked already. Fujita was literally fuming. I could see storm clouds over his heads just from his thunderous expression. Still, he stood down throwing a nasty sneer at me. I didn't mind it much knowing full well that whatever I did was going to rub the Uchiha the wrong way.

"So," I asked turning to Anko.

"I will accept on one condition."

"What?" I asked curious as to what stipulation she was going to add.

"Buy me dango," she smirked at me.

I chuckled in return shaking my head at how her mind worked.

"One for me too," Harami chirped from the tree. "What? Mine is over."

I sighed knowing full well that there was no point in arguing.

"Oh, by the way, I think we are going to get along well," Harami said winking at Anko.

Anko answering smirk made me blanch. Anko and Harami was an unholy combination in my opinion. Anko and Harami both chuckled seeing my expression. Even Roku giggled in amusement.

As Fujita was still sulking up a storm, Roku bid us farewell and left along with him. I enjoyed a quiet few hours with Harami and Anko despite the horror of Anko and Harami getting well acquainted with each other. Even though I knew I was going to pay for getting these two together one day, I felt strangely peaceful in my heart.

But like all good things, nothing could last forever. Soon the sun set down and it was time for me to go meet with Danzo. And I had a feeling that this particular meeting wasn't going to go well.

(*****)

And I was right…..

Danzo had a wooden smile on his face as he sat opposite to me as we dined. It was far more disconcerting than his normally stoic face. Still, I too pasted a very fake smile in return and tried to maintain it throughout the dinner.

We discussed several clan related issues as he quizzed me on what I would do if he was in his position. It was nothing sensitive or momentous, still it was clear to me that he was testing my reasoning and stance on various things.

"And I have received information that the tension among the Hyugas is rising up a notch," Danzo said as he took a little bite off his dinner.

I couldn't help but snort at it. The reaction was so out of the norm for the evening that Danzo looked up sharply.

"Looks like you seem to have an opinion on it, Hato kun," Danzo noted mildly.

"It is not as if the Hyugas are going to listen to me Danzo sama," I smiled in reply not willing to elaborate my thoughts.

"But, I am willing to listen. So, tell me what's on your mind Hato kun," Danzo wasn't about to let me go.

I played with my food for a few seconds not knowing how to put the thoughts in my mind into words.

"First and foremost, I don't desire to impose my opinion on this matter on either you or the Hyuga clan," I said arranging my thoughts into a formal response.

Danzo nodded at me to continue.

"I find their classification of Branch Family from the Main Family to be a little lacking in sense," Danzo's eyebrows rose and in the corner, I saw the Anbu in the room tense.

A Hyuga huh?

"Why do you feel so?"

"Classification of members in the same clan leads to a portion of the clan to be unhappy with the clan. That, in turn, reduces the strength of the clan on the whole. Despite how they may pretend to be unified against others, I know for sure that there are a lot of unhappy members in the clan."

"It is natural. Where there is a ruler, there are servants. It is merely the order of the world."

"You seem to view this as something akin to the relationship between civilians and shinobis. However, you seem to be forgetting that a part of the oppressed have as much strength as the oppressors. No matter how loyal they might be, bitterness is a natural phenomenon occurring amidst the oppressed."

Danzo eyed me as if he didn't see how it played into the matter.

"Where there is bitterness, there is also the possibility of hatred," I continued to explain. "And all it would take is one talented shinobi from the branch family with hatred for the main family to bring down the entire clan to ruins."

"I am sure you know that they have it covered with their own methods."

"Yes, and that is the next problem. You can't treat your family like disposable tools by planting seals on their forehead with which you can kill them in a blink."

I stated with a smile.

"That will lead to disaster in the long run. All it takes is a willing rogue seal master to undo the seal and the branch family would no longer be on a leash. An abused dog will definitely bite back the moment it is free."

"I see," Danzo said in a contemplative manner.

"I mean, they are your family. You can't treat family and friends as tools for your use."

"So, you sympathize with Hatake?" Danzo asked with a slight edge to his voice.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"For weeks I have been wondering why you were visiting Hatake's grave when even his own blood shuns him. And now, I have my answer," Danzo explained in a tone that indicated disapproval.

I sat there frozen. Unable to bring myself to retaliate or keep my composure. As I looked Danzo into his eyes, it became clear to me that this was the real reason for the meeting. He had played me perfectly. It had started with innocuous questions to loosen my guard and then he had gone for the kill.

"He had the same sentiments as you regarding the Hyuga issue," Danzo said in a mocking manner.

 _And see where it led him_ , was unspoken but was heavily implied from his tone.

"I respect Hatake Sakumo for being braver than most shinobi in the village," I said at last knowing that there was no getting around the matter.

"Bravery?" Danzo sneered, "is that what you call abandoning your mission, your village, and your responsibilities? It seems it is awfully similar to someone else you know, isn't it?"

"He had what it took to do what no one else will do. He put the lives of his comrades first knowing full well that they didn't have a chance of survival. It is called a tactical retreat. I think you know what it means," I said my voice rising a bit knowing full well who he was implying.

"And now we are in war?" Danzo spoke in derision.

"I am sure you aren't naive enough to think that we could have avoided this war, Danzo sama. Even if Hatake san had finished his mission, this war would have happened. What he showed was common sense that I haven't seen much in this village," I hissed.

"Careful, Hato kun. You are toeing the line here," Danzo warned me with hard eyes.

I took in a deep breath and calmed myself not bothering to rebut. Tsunade was one matter we both were in loggerheads, even more than the usual amount. There was no use in getting riled about it. It was simply a waste of time.

"And, I take it that you too would put your comrades' lives before the mission?" Danzo asked the real question he had been dancing around.

I sat there contemplating what I would do. Even though I knew what answer Danzo wanted to hear from me, I took the opportunity to know what I would do.

"It's complicated," I said after a few moments of silence. "Things have changed. The situation is not the same as it was when Hatake san took the decision. We are at war now."

"And each and every mission during wartime will have an impact on the lives of thousands of people - both shinobi and civilian alike. If… If… If I have to sacrifice my teammates for the sake of a mission, I will do it for the thousands of people who will be impacted due to it."

I sat there trying to get my head around what I had just uttered. It was true. I would do it. I knew it to be true. But, what does that make me? Have I become so callous? Does it mean...

"Good," Danzo's voice interrupted my musings effectively pulling me out of it.

"From what I learned from Orochimaru, I am sure you could hold your own out of the village. I wouldn't have agreed to let your team take an out of village mission if I wasn't sure of it. Still, I bid you to be careful and vigilant out there. A shinobi must be prepared any time."

I nodded not bothering to reply. No wonder we have been doing D-ranks for months. Still, if it kept us away from the war, I ain't going to complain.

"You have a mission tomorrow. I don't wish to hold you here any longer. I have got my answer. You are dismissed," Danzo said rising from the table.

I mechanically rose and bowed in return before leaving Danzo's place. My mind was still reeling from the realization of what I was capable of doing now.

Somehow, the fact that I would willingly sacrifice kids like Fujita and Roku for the sake of the war brought a bitter taste in my mouth. Not knowing whether I was turning into a monster myself, I walked woodenly towards home.

My anger, fear, doubts, and worries had no place in my heart now.

For it was now empty….

And that strange sensation occupied me entirely.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's it. We will be heading into war now. For some reason, this chapter took a form of its own. I had merely meant to showcase that Roku was warming up to Hatorama. I never planned for Anko or Harami to appear, but the chapter sort of took a life of its own. As for how the fight with Orochimaru went, I tried to keep it Jutsu free. Because Orochimaru using jutsus against Hatorama just felt like overkill. The fight was meant to highlight Hatorama, not Orochimaru. But, don't worry, you will be getting a lot of action in the upcoming chapters.**


	23. First Foray Into The Third World War

**A/N:** I have to offer my humble apologies to my loyal followers first and foremost. While I won't say the reason for my long absence, I hope you guys will understand when I say that sometimes life often throws a curveball at you. As for the speculation that I have dropped this fic, it is not true. I just had some complicating matters in life to deal with. I am currently over that hurdle and I have written over 30K words into the war. I will be updating them soon here in the upcoming weeks. Hope you guys enjoy.

Also, I am immensely glad that we have reached over 1K followers for this fic. Thank you for all the love.

* * *

Chapter 23 – First Foray Into The Third World War

I ducked under the bandit's swing and decked him in the face with my bow and sent him reeling. I turned around nocking an arrow and let it fly at another bandit who was about to attack Roku from behind. It passed just inches from his face making him reel back in shock. Even though it missed, it accomplished the job as Roku finished the bandit she was fighting with a hard right to his chin.

Roku turned around and sent me a grateful smile before sending him flying with a swift uppercut. I ducked under another bandit's attack and kicked his shin cutting him down to my size, before kneeing him in the face. This time I let the arrow fly at the guy coming at Fujita from the side. It was a true shot.

When Fujita finished the guy he was battling against and turned towards him, he found a body with an arrow protruding from the back of the head. He sent a scowl at me and went to finish the remaining two bandits. I didn't bother paying attention to the fight anymore knowing full well that both Roku and Fujita were perfectly capable of handling it.

I scanned the surroundings for any other presence. I could feel Tsuki sensei watching over us from the tree above where he was hiding. There were no other chakra signatures in the vicinity. Still, I didn't relax. We weren't fighting shinobi after all.

As I had expected, we saw action in our very first C rank mission. A bandit attack. Normally, the bandits would have been cleared out ages ago. Owing to the fact that the route was less traveled and way off the war zone, no effort has been spared to clear them up.

We were guarding a merchant caravan heading halfway towards the border between Rock and Leaf. Even though the town we were supposed to escort the caravan was not near the border, we were all on high alert. At least, initially. As the first day and night passed without any incident, both Fujita and Roku began to loosen their vigilance. I, however, did not.

The bandits attacked us just outside of the town we were traveling to. Seeing how we haven't faced any attack until almost the journey was over, both Roku and Fujita have been a little complacent at the time of the attack. However, me and Tsuki sensei were on high alert. The moment I felt bandits in the vicinity, Tsuki sensei had taken off.

Initially, I wasn't very sure. As they didn't use chakra much, all I got from my sensing ability was a kind of buzz. As if something was there, but not really there. Luckily, Tsuki sensei taking off had tipped me, and I was able to deduce that it was merely ordinary bandits. From the hushed whispers that they were trying to keep low (and abysmally failing due to chakra enhanced hearing), I was able to pinpoint the one who was giving the orders and took him out of action just as the action began.

As the attack began, my first arrow went right into the eye of the one giving orders causing the other bandits to pause momentarily and fall into panic. That provided enough window for Fujita and Roku to leap into action.

Sensei dropped to the ground taking out the last bandit who was left. I looked around to find that both and Fujita had gone in for the kill, while Roku had been satisfied with disabling her enemies. That left us with a couple of bandits to take care of.

Tsuki sensei frowned as he noticed it. He looked at Roku who was oblivious to what she had done and a grimace formed on his face. I looked away knowing what he was going to make her do.

"Roku," Tsuki sensei called her.

"Yes sensei,"

"Here, take this and finish off your opponents," a sound of kunai embedding the ground reached me.

And silence.

I didn't pause, not wanting to see what was going on, as I made my way to the caravan to assure the merchant that the bandits were dealt with.

"Haname san, we have cleared the bandits," I said standing outside the caravan in which the merchant and his companions were taking refuge in.

"Oh, can we come out?" Haname san asked from inside.

"Ah! Just wait for a few more minutes. We… ah, we are clearing the remains. I think you would prefer not to look at the aftermath."

"Yeah, yeah. Let us know when you are done," Haname san said hastily.

I let out an affirmative grunt and turned around to look at the bodies littering the floor. I walked to the nearby body and retrieved the arrow from it, before scouring the area for my other arrows.

"Roku, do it," Tsuki sensei's voice echoed out commandingly.

I heard a shriek, followed by a wet crunching sound. I closed my eyes knowing full well that Roku might be feeling terrible at the moment. It had not been the first time I had killed. A memory from Before intruded my mind.

Blood all over my hands, as I stared at the dead body in front of me with rage.

I hastily pushed that image and the corresponding rage that came with it away. I blinked a couple of times before retrieving another arrow from another dead body. As I counted the arrows in my hand, I knew I had just one more left to collect. The one embedded in the eye of the one who had been in charge.

For that, I have to walk past Roku and others.

Still not feeling like watching what was happening, I started cleaning the arrows of the blood. Still, some of the taints stuck with the wood.

"Tch," I muttered irritably knowing that it was one of the downsides of using arrow instead of kunai.

Another wet crunching sound echoed behind me.

"Roku, Roku," Tsuki sensei's panicked voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Unable to be still anymore and with nothing else to do, I turned to see what had made Tsuki sensei panic. Roku was standing rooted to the spot before the second body looking at the kunai in her hands. Tsuki sensei looked concerned. Fujita, on the other hand, was watching the last two bandits intently. Something about his gaze troubled me. But, I pushed it away.

Roku was trembling all over. I sighed knowing Roku would not be able to finish the last two. It seemed like Tsuki sensei also felt the same. He gently pried the kunai from her hands and embraced her as he patted her back. Roku's body shook in his embrace. I tore my eyes away from them.

It felt like something had caught up in my throat seeing Roku in that state. I gulped trying hard not to let tears envelop my eyes. I shook my head clearing myself of the guilt for letting it happen to her.

Thud! Thud!

Two bodies fell simultaneously to the ground shaking us all awake. I turned in the direction of the sound to find two bodies with two kunai embedded in them. Confused, I looked around to see who had done it. Maybe, it was sensei.

Or maybe not.

If the look in his face was anything to go by. Then, it left….

"I took care of the remaining ones, sensei," Fujita said beaming with pride.

I shook my head at him. Tsuki sensei nodded in return as he stood up. Roku embraced his leg.

"Good job, Fujita kun" he nodded at the boy absently patting Roku's head.

I snorted to myself. Leave it to Fujita to try to brown-nose sensei. Still, I was glad that he had the presence of mind to take the attention away from Roku. And looking from how he was acting, I was sure that he knew that it was either kill or be killed in a war. The Uchihas would have drilled it into them.

There were rumors in the village about Uchihas using death row prisoners to prepare their young ones for the ninja life. And coupled with how we were taught in the academy to dispose of enemies with no mercy or second thought, I was sure the boy was accustomed to killing.

It was so wrong that a kid like Fujita was so accustomed to killing. But, that is how the world worked here. This was not Before, where children are sheltered from bloodshed and many people pass their lives without even coming across one. This was the world of Naruto, where we kids are taught to kill from a very young age.

I let out a resigned sigh.

"Sensei, we will take care of the bodies. You…" I gestured towards Roku hoping he would understand.

He nodded in return and graced me with a smile. It took me by surprise. But, I shook out of it in a moment as I dragged the other bodies to make a pile. I retrieved the last arrow and secured it in a different place, not bothering to clean the blood.

I decided that this arrow would never ever be used again. It was the one that brought me my first kill. I needed it as a reminder, to remind me that in this world it is either kill or be killed.

Once all the bodies were piled up, Fujita stepped up self-importantly.

"Step back, Senju. Watch what an Uchiha is capable of," he announced as he hastily made a couple of hand signs and blew a ball of fire.

I watched the ball engulf the bodies dispassionately. I watched the bodies burn far faster than it was normal. Yet, another thing reminding me how this world was different than what I was used to. I left Fujita to the burning pile of bodies and made my way to the caravan.

"Haname san, you can come out."

"Oh, is it finished?" Haname san asked excitedly as he got out of the wagon.

He looked at the distant flame and grunted before looking around. He noted that neither my sensei nor Roku was in sight, but didn't comment. He nodded to me before scampering off to check his wares.

(*****)

We escorted the caravan with no further incidents.

Once we reached the town and finished our mission, Tsuki sensei allowed us to roam around the town for the next few hours. Unfortunately, neither me nor Roku was in a mood to go sightseeing.

Fujita tried to convince Roku to tag along with him, however Roku steadfastly refused. Grumbling, Fujita took off on his own. Minutes later, after getting assurance from me that I won't leave Roku alone, Tsuki sensei took off to keep watch on Fujita from the shadows. It was clear that even Tsuki sensei wasn't feeling comfortable enough to let Fujita roam around the village on his own.

"Hey," I said sliding next to Roku.

She gave me a weak smile and quickly turned away not meeting my eyes. I sighed leaning backward, letting the silence remain. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Roku eye me with trepidation. It was as if she was debating whether or not to speak to me.

We sat there in silence for some time. I figured it would be best not to push her. After all, regardless of being a genin Roku was still a kid who had undergone a life-changing experience.

After half an hour or so, Roku broke the silence unable to bear it any longer.

"How do you do it?" she mumbled.

"What?" I asked unable to understand what she meant by it.

"I mean, the ki…." Roku stopped unable to say the word.

I let out a huge sigh, "If you think it is easy for us, you are wrong."

"But… But, neither you or Fujita…"

"We were brought up differently Roku. We knew what it means to go out on a mission and put your life out there. I don't mean to say you don't know. But, this kind of knowing is different."

"How?"

I contemplated for a few moments on how to put it across so that she understood what I meant.

"In the academy, you were taught that you had to kill your enemies. But until the moment arrived, you didn't know what it takes to do it, did you?"

Roku shook her head.

"It's like that. From a young age, we were trained to take lives. All of us. But due to how we were brought up, me and Fujita knew it better than all others. In some ways, both Senju and Uchiha clans are the same. Funny that no one realizes it," I chuckled mirthlessly.

"How do you deal with it?"

"It is different for everyone Roku. I don't know how Fujita deals with it. For me, I think of what those men would do if I left them alive. Next week, they might attack another merchant who has no shinobi protection. If I take them out now, I save that merchant from his fate. I concentrate on who I save instead of who I kill."

Roku didn't respond. She looked thoughtful.

"Then again, it is a flimsy excuse for taking a life. But, that is what we are. We shinobi are trained to kill. Whether it is for the village or your family or your team, it all boils down to one thing for me. In this world, if I don't kill my enemies they will cause pain to things I protect. So, I kill them. You have to find your own reason, Roku. This is something we all must do."

Silence ensued my statement as Roku mulled over my words. I let her be. We remained seated next to each other in silence for the next few minutes.

"I felt horrible," Roku said after a while, "I have always known I have to kill someone someday. But, when I looked at them, bound and helpless, I just couldn't do it. I felt like a coward."

I didn't reply.

"I don't know what to do. And when Sensei ordered, I panicked and killed one. I didn't want sensei to be mad at me. But, when the second one died, I couldn't take it anymore,"

"Roku, breathe," I ordered her seeing that she was working herself into hyperventilation.

Roku took in deep breaths as I rubbed her back soothingly. She sniffled a few times in the next few minutes as she tried to calm down. I sat there soothing her with words and pleasantries.

"You must think I am coward," she said in-between her sniffles.

"No, Roku. You were very brave," I assured her patting her back.

"Does it get easier?" she asked in a small voice after a while.

"I don't know Roku. I don't know," I mumbled back.

And I really didn't know.

(*****)

I ducked under Tsuki sensei's kick and fell into a roll-on seeing Roku coming at him from behind. I passed under her kick and came up with an arrow notched in my bow. I took aim and waited until Roku was kicked away, and let it fly. Tsuki sensei swayed out of the path nimbly and blocked Fujita's kick. The force of sensei's block unbalanced him and he was sent flying with a kick.

I initiated my hand seals as Roku engaged sensei furiously. I timed it perfectly and sent my compressed water bullet right at sensei's face just as Roku dropped down from her kick. The bullet passed Roku just shy of her head, and it took Tsuki sensei by surprise. Only for him to shunshin away at the last moment.

I cursed inwardly and ducked low without hesitation, knowing full well that sensei would appear behind me. As expected his kick passed above me. I completed the duck with a roundhouse heel kick, which he jumped above and retaliated with a knee to my face. I pulled away with a backward roll as his knee passed inches away from my face.

Before I could right myself, I felt a searing heat on my back as Fujita let lose a big ass fireball at sensei. Only, sensei wasn't there. Instead, I had to frantically pull out a substitution just to stay alive. I reappeared a few paces back panting heavy breaths, a shiver running down my spine. I sent a scowl at him only to find him shooting another big ass fireball at sensei. This time it was Roku who scrambled out of the way.

Luckily, Roku was in a far better position to escape than me. My rhythm completely thrown, I took deep breaths and looked at Roku who was scowling at Fujita. I shook my head as I saw him shooting another fireball at sensei. I plopped down on my butt dispiritedly.

Roku wasn't in the mood to engage sensei either. She tiredly made her way near me and sat beside me with a scowl. We both watched Tsuki sensei thrash Fujita ruthlessly for the next 30 seconds or so until Fujita was groaning on the ground.

"I hate it when he does that," Roku grumbled beside me.

I could only nod in agreement.

"What do you think you two are doing?" Tsuki sensei asked as he appeared before us, "I haven't called an end to the practice."

"We thought Fujita kun wanted to fight you by himself sensei, so we are taking a break," Roku replied cheekily as I nodded along seriously.

Tsuki sensei gave us a hard look.

"Oh, come on sensei. How can we fight alongside that idiot when he keeps throwing fireballs without even considering us?" Roku asked indignantly.

"That doesn't mean you can sit out of a fight, Roku chan," sensei said with a disapproving click.

"Then tell him not to roast us alive," Roku said heatedly.

Tsuki sensei massaged his head. I merely stared ahead without speaking anything. Recently, I have adopted the policy of non-interference. I didn't speak much, and only spoke when it was needed to. To my surprise, this strategy seemed to work well. Tsuki sensei was not after me much these days. And since I wasn't speaking much, even Fujita found it hard to pick a fight with me.

All in all, I was content with the current team dynamic.

The only downfall is that Roku was being more outspoken these days. This has created certain friction between Roku and Fujita. And it was becoming more and more hard for sensei to mediate.

"Fujita," Tsuki sensei said in a stern tone causing a panting Fujita to look up at us.

"Do you realize your mistake?" Tsuki sensei asked him.

"Mistake? What did I do?" Fujita asked in confusion.

"What did you do? What did you do? You almost roasted both of us alive," Roku spat at him in anger.

"What?" Fujita still didn't understand.

"Fujita," Tsuki sensei cut in before Roku could reply. "Sending fireball jutsu when your teammates are engaged in Taijutsu with the enemy will also implicate your teammates and their ability to combat. What if they hadn't gotten out of the way in time?"

"But, but he shot a water bullet," Fujita replied, "I thought it was fine."

I let out a huge sigh.

"Fujita, my water bullet was concentrated and it was timed perfectly not to hinder Roku," I replied patiently.

"So, what are you telling? That when you do it is fine and when I do it isn't fine huh?" Fujita bristled.

I simply looked at Tsuki sensei in defeat and shrugged my shoulders indicating he should handle it.

"Fujita," Tsuki sensei spoke before Fujita could come at me again, "it doesn't necessarily mean that you can perform a B-rank jutsu just because Hatorama sent a water bullet. It isn't a competition here. Your main aim is to beat your enemy. Firing fireballs that hinder your teammates instead of helping them will only lead to all of your deaths."

Fujita looked as if he was going to argue but instead looked away under Tsuki sensei's hard stare.

"Do you understand?" Tsuki sensei didn't relent.

"Yes sensei," Fujita said half-heartedly.

Tsuki sensei looked as if he was going to pressure Fujita more, but shook his head with a disappointed face.

"And Hatorama," Tsuki sensri continued before anyone else could say something. "While your water bullet was perfectly timed, I am going to ask you not to do that again. As you can see, your team's teamwork hasn't reached that level yet."

"Yes sensei," I said robotically and it seemed to pacify Fujita.

"Roku, you need to put your differences with your teammates aside during a battle. If this had happened in a mission, you and Hatorama would have left Fujita to fend for himself. That would result in all of your deaths," Tsuki sensei said sternly causing Roku to flush.

"And you too," Tsuki sensei said nodding to me, "I understand you had a close call and was affected by it. But, in battle, you will experience a lot of close calls like that. You can't be affected by it."

"I understand sensei," I said seriously as I mulled over sensei's words.

It was true. In a real battle, I would be experiencing many such close calls. That couldn't be an excuse for me to panic. Provided, I didn't expect those close calls to be coming from my own team, what Tsuki sensei said was right.

"I'm sorry sensei," I said earnestly, "I will make sure it won't happen again."

Tsuki sensei looked surprised at my words. Considering how I had reacted to his previous criticisms, it was only natural. He merely nodded at me with a complicated look on his face. But, I threw it to the back of my head and started thinking about what else I could have done after that near miss. It was clear that we could have fought sensei for longer. if I hadn't panicked.

Yet, one more thing to get rid of before being deployed to front lines.

(*****)

Kushina came home after what felt like an eternity and I was promptly invited to dinner at her house. Only, I wasn't the only one invited. Team Minato was there too. I was very uncomfortable to sit opposite to Rin and Obito. On my right, Kakashi was his usual stoic self while occasionally glancing me with disdain.

To my left, Minato and Kushina were very immersed in their conversation. From the occasional giggles from Kushina and the blush on Minato's face I could imagine what the conversation was all about. Luckily, Obito was regaling Rin with the latest help he provided to an old lady. Rin, on the other hand, was sneaking glances at an oblivious Kakashi.

 _'Argh'_ I groaned inwardly.

Looking at the happy atmosphere in front of me, I felt as if I was the worst possible human in the whole Narutoverse. Knowing what was going to befall this happy family - yes, they were a family - I felt as if it was entirely my fault that such a thing was going to be happening in the future.

And it angered me.

"Well, Hato kun, I heard that you have been going on C-ranks these days," Kushina turned from Minato to ask me.

I choked on the soup I was having, causing Kakashi to snort disdainfully.

"Yeah," I managed to say once I finished stabilizing myself.

"How are things with your team? All fine?" Kushina asked as she served a portion to Minato.

"Hmmm, it's been going good," I nodded in return.

"That is not what I heard. My cousin said you were showing off too much," Obito piped in with a scowl.

"I can't help if your cousin feels that way. You Uchihas think you are the only ones allowed to show off. And when someone performs better than you, you Uchihas seem to not like it," I replied with a sidelong glance at Kakashi.

Obito bristled at the insinuation. But, before he could reply Kakashi snorted causing Obito to shift his attention away from me.

"What are you laughing at bakashi?" Obito sneered at him. With his ever-present goggles, it looked ridiculous.

I snorted seeing him act as if Obito was thin air. As expected, Obito bristled seeing Kakashi ignore him. With me adding flame from the sidelines, it looked as if Obito was going to punch Kakashi.

Only, Kushina cleared her throat and Obito shrank down like a deflated balloon.

"Hato kun, I have been fighting for a long time. I just came home, I don't want you to start a fight in my home, do you understand?"

Kushina's cherry smile sent shivers down my spine. Damn! Kushina is one scary woman. I meekly nodded my head in reply.

"And that goes for you all too," Kushina directed her scary smile at Minato's trio causing them to nod fervently.

"Well, Minato, when are you going to move in with me?" Kushina asked casually turning to Minato.

Then and there, I knew we were all appetizers. Minato was the main dish. For his sake, I hoped that he didn't trip up.

But, who was I kidding?

"Hmmm, what's the rush? I am fine with how things are. Besides, I'm busy a lot these days. Let things settle down a bit," Minato spoke absentmindedly as he ate.

"What's the rush?" Kushina muttered to herself in a strange tone making my hair stand on edge.

Oblivious Minato was still going on about how the Hokage was running him haggard. I bitterly thought if he doesn't take care, he might not even be alive to see next sunrise.

"He is fine with how things are? Eh?" Kushina continued on in that strange tone causing me to gulp.

And damn Minato was still ranting about Hokage.

I saw Rin desperately trying to get Minato to stop as Kushina began a strange cackle, but Obito was oblivious too as he was listening to Minato with rapt attention, making all the appropriate sounds. Kakashi, on the other hand, started eating fast as if he was on a deadline.

"Tell me Hato kun, am I rushing things?" Kushina turned to look at me with an eerie smile.

Deciding that it was every man for himself, I suddenly rose and interrupted Minato.

"Minato san, how can you do this to Kushina-nee?"

Minato looked up at me in confusion.

"Oi senju baka, what are you talking about?" Obito shouted at me.

"Hato kun, what happened?" Minato asked me in confusion.

Kakashi took that moment to escape from the table. I saw Rin beginning to retreat as well. Oblivious to their actions, Obito was glowering at me. As the atmosphere shifted, Minato began to realize something was going on as he noted Kakashi and Rin escaping.

On the other hand, Kushina was still cackling.

"Tell me Hato kun, am I rushing things?" Kushina's sweet voice once again echoed through the room causing my innards to jolt.

"Ah, Kushina-nee, I think you are absolutely right," I started to nervously back off from the table. "But, as you know, I am your brother so Minato san might think I am siding with you. It would be better if you ask Obito there."

I shamelessly threw the Uchiha under the wagon and began to start a hasty retreat.

"Hato kun, Hato kun," Minato's voice echoed from the room as I closed the door behind me.

"Sit down, Minato. And you too, Obito. I am not letting either one of you leave until I get an answer." Kushina's thundering voice chased after me as I ran like mad. Inwardly, I noted that the first thing I am going to learn after this was a shunshin.

(*****)

I ducked under the bandit's punch and decked him right in his groins and followed with an uppercut. I shifted away as another bandit kicked me. Before I could launch myself at him Roku's fist smashed into him causing him to fall down. I swept past her with a roundhouse kick connecting with another bandit who was coming after Roku from behind and had to hastily block an errant punch from Fujita. It looked like he was also coming to the aid of Roku, so I didn't mind it as I stabilized myself and moved away to engage two more bandits.

It was short work. It would have been even shorter if we were allowed to use weapons. However, Tsuki sensei had ordered us to engage bandits in Taijutsu alone to hone our teamwork in case of melee battles. And I have to say it was working wonders. There was less and less number of occurrences where we were hindering each other.

We were on yet another C-rank mission, leading yet another merchant convoy. Due to the war, the way to our destination was infested with bandits. It was a blessing that they had no ninja training. Otherwise, we would have been bogged down with skirmishes.

"Report," Tsuki sensei's voice brought me back from my musings.

"We have neutralized the bandits, sensei. 21 dead, and another 18 incapacitated. No injuries on our side." Fujita reported.

"You left 18 alive?" Tsuki sensei said in surprise.

"It's not my fault sensei," Fujita replied sullenly.

As Tsuki sensei looked at me and Roku, "No weapons sensei, kinda hard to finish them all off without weapons," I replied knowing full well that over thirteen of the remaining were left alive by Roku.

"Hatorama, I expect your Taijutsu to be lethal. If they are shinobi, just beating them up would not be enough. Sometimes you will not time to retrieve your weapons on the battlefield. So, each and every strike you inflict must do maximum damage."

"I understand sensei, I will dispose of them now," I nodded mulling over his comment.

"Take Roku with you," Tsuki sensei nodded in return as he went to inform our client.

Fujita looked at me smugly and walked off. I looked around to see Roku was looking down at her shoes not intending to meet my eye.

"You didn't use chakra," I stated as I walked towards the bodies.

"No," Roku said softly. "They… they are not shinobi."

"It doesn't matter Roku, you need to stop holding back. We are at war Roku. I will tell you this frankly, this is our last C-rank mission," I said massaging my head not knowing what to do with Roku's kindness.

As endearing as it is, this was the world of Narutoverse. Here being softhearted can kill you in a blink. Especially in the battlefield.

"What do you mean?" Roku asked curiously.

"Its done Roku. Its over," I said gruffly not willing to talk about it.

"Hato kun, can you be more clear," I could hear the nervousness in her voice. It looked like she had already guessed.

"Your guess is correct," I said as I began to kill off the remaining bandits. "We are done doing C-rank missions Roku. Our next deployment will be to the front lines. We will be delivering couriers to outposts and stuff. But, the next enemy we meet will be a shinobi who is looking to kill you. If you continue holding back like this, you won't be prepared when the time comes. It will cause a lot of problems. Hell, Roku, one of us might even die. So, stop holding back."

"I will try," Roku said meekly.

"No, Roku. Stop trying and start doing. I don't want you to suffer." I said in exasperation.

"I…. I…"

"There is no more time, Roku." I said as I slit the last bandit's throat.

Roku merely gulped to that statement.

"Well, Fujita will be thrilled, so that's a plus there," I smiled at Roku causing her to chuckle.

"Yeah, he has been moaning for months that we haven't fought with a single shinobi," Roku said shaking her head.

"More like there were no shinobi in his kill counts," I grumbled in reply.

"He does seem a little bloodthirsty," Roku nodded along as we made our way to sensei.

"Which Uchiha isn't?" I snorted in reply.

"Oh, shush. He is not that bad. He is just eager."

(*****)

Tsuki sensei held up a hand making us stop. I could feel three chakra signatures hiding in the trees above us. From the way they were patiently waiting for us to proceed, I was sure that they were hostile.

Unlike the previous two Shinobi Wars, the third one was a total clusterfuck. All five elemental nations were participating in this. However, there were no clear alliances. Iwa was fighting with Kumo and Konoha. Suna was also fighting but not too openly. And I know that we were going to face Kiri at one point or another. The same went for Kumo. But, the main battle was between Iwa and Konoha. At least, as of now, there were no reports of Konoha shinobi fighting with Kumo. In short, it was a total clusterfuck.

"Don't hold back," I whispered in Roku's ear.

She nodded nervously as we waited for the other side to make a move. I felt too exposed to stay in a single place knowing it was already compromised. I could see sweat beads forming on Fujita's brows as he nervously clutched the kunai in his hands. Tsuki sensei's tense posture increased the nervousness a little further.

 _Team of three. Probably two Chunin and a Jonin._

Tsuki sensei signaled behind his back causing Fujita and Roku to pale a little. My lips twitched as I cursed our luck for running into a Chunin this early in our deployment.

 _I will take one Chunin and stall for time. You and Roku engage the other Chunin. Come to my aid once you deal with him._

Fujita's brows furrowed and he seemed on the verge of exploding.

 _My Taijutsu is better and I can hold on for some time against a Chunin._

I signed again. This time Fujita bristled outright. Tsuki sensei glared at us as he sensed the hostility Fujita was exuding. I signed to Tsuki sensei what I told Fujita. He looked thoughtful for a second.

 _I can handle a mere Chunin on my own, my ninjutsu is better than him._

Fujita signed hastily. Tsuki sensei's eyebrows rose and we both exchanged a look. Knowing full well how Fujita would react, Tsuki sensei's eyebrows furrowed further. Before we could decide on the deployment a kunai shot through the air causing us to scatter. And a trio of Iwa ninja was on us immediately.

As Tsuki sensei took on the Jonin, Fujita rushed ahead to take on a Chunin on his own. The other Chunin was heading towards Roku. I hastily intercepted him and was blown back from the impact. The bastard was a power user. Likely earth affinity. However, he wasn't agile. That would work to my advantage and stalling him from aiding his companions would be easy.

As I fell back, I changed my trajectory to land beside Roku.

 _Power-user. Probably earth affinity. Weakness - agility._

I signed to Roku as I looked ahead at Fujita. He was going toe to toe with a Chunin in Ninjutsu. I groaned at his idiocy. No matter how vast his aresenal is, his chakra reserves would not be a match for a Chunin.

 _Engage in Taijutsu. I will provide support._

I signed to Roku and she took off like a rolling rock towards the Iwa shinobi. I took my bow and knocked an arrow, took aim and held it. Just as Roku was pushed back, I let the arrow fly. The Chunin was going for a jutsu and hastily cut off as the arrow arrived. He shifted back with a curse, giving Roku time to once again engage in Taijutsu. Roku was true to her Akimichi heritage as she soon began to gain upper hand. With me providing occasional support, the Iwa ninja was unable to concentrate fully on Roku. Any gap he showed was treated with a deadly arrow to his vitals. Soon, he became flustered and started cursing me like hell.

And Roku took perfect advantage of his distraction and landed a few strong punches that I was sure would jar his innards. Soon, the Chunin was leaking blood along his lips. But, Roku's inexperience soon became clear. Instead of going for the kill, Roku was content to keep him occupied. While the Chunin was pressured to deal with both Roku's power and my arrows, Roku's inexperience allowed him to prolong his battle.

I cursed inwardly as I spied Fujita beginning to fumble in his fight. Maybe in a minute or two, he would be defeated. Even though Roku was pressuring our target, she seemed hesitant to go for the kill. As I feared, Fujita's chakra began to run low in the next minute or so. He hastily ducked away from an earth spike short towards and it was the turning point of that fight.

Hastily I did the seals for a water bullet and shot at Fujita's opponent causing him to backtrack a little. I didn't waste the opportunity and shot three more arrows at him keeping him away from Fujita. However, without my assistance, Roku was beginning to fall back in her fight. I knew clearly that I had to do something or else we might not win this fight. Hell, at least one of my teammates will lose their lives if I don't act soon.

While I could assist Roku to an extent, considering how she was engaged in Taijutsu, I know for sure the amount of support I could provide can only extend to a bit. I can even engage in Taijutsu alongside Roku, but I knew the one who needs my help most at this moment was not Roku. She could hang in there for a few more minutes even if I don't assist. It would be hard, but Roku could manage. So, the best option is to assist Fujita. But, knowing Fujita, that he would likely take it as an insult.

Just then, Fujita's opponent recovered and Fujita was left to scramble across the area like a headless chicken. Throwing all thoughts away, I leaped towards Fujita's opponent, shooting arrows at him, giving him no chance of reprieve. I forced him back and closed in on him. Considering that he was a Ninjutsu specialist, I figured engaging him with Taijutsu would be an ideal approach.

"What are you doing Senju?" Fujita's angry shout echoed behind me as I closed in on the Chunin.

"Go, help Roku. I will stall him," I shouted back and delivered a roundhouse kick making the Chunin stagger from his block.

"Argh" Fujita's angry shout was the reply I got as the Chunin repaid me with a kick to the sternum that I had to block hastily.

Luckily, the man's taijutsu was only average. He tried to create distance to cast some Ninjutsu. However, I saw through his plan and kept hounding him. Soon, he became flustered and a few openings were seen. However, I held back wary of feints and kept up the pressure. No matter the number of openings he showed, I maintained my form and never once leaped in eagerly for the kill.

From the frustrated grunts I received as I kept up the pressure, the wariness paid off. Unable to get rid of me, his Taijutsu became even more brutal. I merely deflected most and only attacked him to keep up the pressure. In the end, he opted to use a substitution to create some distance when he realized that baiting me in wasn't going to work.

But, I was one step ahead. Ever since I engaged him, I have been on the lookout for that particular jutsu. The moment he started to make signs, I retrieved my bow and arrow, locked on to his chakra signal and simply let loose at the area he had substituted to. A strangled yelp was heard as the evaded at the last moment. The arrow missed his neck, but his shoulder wasn't lucky.

By that time I was already closing in on him. I started to attack his injured side making his movements become restricted. Pretty soon, I was beginning to have an advantage. Targeting his injured shoulders I restricted his movements further and further. A few of my hits landed on his vitals and he was beginning to cough up blood. Unlike Roku, I pressed further making him panic.

Just as I closed in for the kill –

 ** _Katon –Hosenka no Jutsu_**

A few stray fire bullets from the jutsu came right towards us. I aborted the kill and managed to shift myself away barely escaping from the jutsu. The Chunin ducked under it and started to hastily form hand seals. As I regained my stability, I had to immediately start evading earth spikes. One particular spike grazed very close to my chest making me feel goosebumps. As I evaded the spikes, it was followed with mudballs. I hastily ducked under them and formed my own hand seals.

 ** _Suiton – Mizurappa_**

The violent water wave sent the Iwa ninja flying. As he regained his bearings, I was already upon him. My knee connected with his throat. A sick crunch was heard and I sent another roundhouse kick for good measure nearly decapitating his head with its connection. He spun like a corkscrew and landed with a heavy thud. As he laid there choking, I moved in to finish the kill.

And a fireball hit him roasting him alive making me stop in my tracks.

I whipped my head in anger to see Fujita looking at me smugly. Roku was behind him gasping for air. Their opponent, already a pile of ashes. As much as I wanted to throttle the Uchiha, I reined it in and looked at our sensei, who was finishing up his own battle. He ended it with a kunai to his opponent's eye in a brutal but effective fashion.

As Tsuki sensei turned around to look at us, he noted the two pile of ashes and a smug Fujita. His eyes lingered on the huge amount of arrows littered across the ground and rested a few more seconds on Roku's injuries. His lips formed into a thin line, but he didn't say anything.

I paid no attention to Tsuki sensei and walked towards Roku.

"Are you ok?" I asked softly.

She nodded at me and shot a glare at Fujita for some reason. I didn't bother to inquire after it and went about collecting the arrows littered on the battlefield.

"Take ten minutes break. We will set off immediately after that," Tsuki sensei said as he went to take a look at Roku's injuries.

(*****)

 **OMAKE**

Mokurimo Tsuki was beginning to get a headache. He never thought that the most troublesome of his genin would be his old teammate's son. As much as he loved the boy as his own, he had to admit that Fujita was becoming a liability to the whole team.

The Senju, on the other hand, had been too well-behaved for him to find a fault with him. As a shinobi himself, he could see why the higher-ups were so invested in the boy. His potential looked like it would never end. Regardless of which position he was put in, the boy did his job perfectly. The boy was a well-rounded shinobi, he had to admit that.

Whether he was in long-range support or close quarters or even in the unenviable position of mid-range, the boy made sure that he couldn't find any fault with his work at all. He had to admit that Hatorama Senju was well worth grooming. But, he was still wary of the brat.

There was something about the brat that felt wrong to him. He was too perfect, and it raised his alarm bells more than once. He still remembered how manipulative the brat was in their first meeting. Such nature couldn't be overcome that easily. And looking at how easily the brat had Roku under his wing, he felt that the brat was still up to his tricks right under his eyes.

 _Treat him like an adult_

The Sannin's voice echoed in his mind, startling him of his contemplation. It was true that he had never treated the brat like an adult. He had been confident that he could make the brat see his errors with some strong-arming and pressure. He had been foolish to underestimate the brat. And now, it seemed that the brat has already gained a foothold with his manipulative ways

As he looked over at the trio, he could see that there was a gap forming between Fujita and his teammates. He could see that Roku would trust the Senju brat more than Fujita. And Fujita's overenthusiastic attempts to perform well had isolated him from the other teammates, especially Roku.

As he ruminated over how to deal with it, he could see the Senju brat and Roku laughing at each other. Fujita seemed to be awfully left alone. It wouldn't be long before the brat had Roku completely enthralled with him. And that was how the manipulators worked.

Now that he thought about it, the brat could easily outperform Fujita. Yet, the brat had toned down his performance to gain Roku's confidence. Just like he did in the academy, the brat was still underperforming and fooling everyone else. Even he had been hoodwinked into believing that the problem was with Fujita.

No, the problem had always been with the Senju brat. Only, he was too good a manipulator to make others think otherwise. And it chilled him to the bones to see how a child could be so manipulative.

But, how to defuse this? It wouldn't do to tip his hand too early and have the brat think of other ways to manipulate Roku. He had made that mistake once and, in the end, even he had been hoodwinked by the brat. The brat was more cunning than he realized. So, the only way was for him to be patient and find the right moment.

First and foremost, he had to repair the rift between Roku and Fujita. Both Roku and Fujita were children, they might not know what is best for them. If he could have a firmer hand on both and curb Fujita's overenthusiastic display, he might even succeed. Let the Senju brat think that he wasn't on to him. Lull him into complacency and once the rift between Roku and Fujita was repaired, he would take care of the brat next.

As Mokurimo Tsuki sat thinking on his plans further, a new day dawned over the horizon.


	24. Chapter 24 - Misconceptions And Duty

**A/N:** I initially thought to hold back this chapter and publish it next week. But, owing to a request for a double update from **thepowerfulkira** and me feeling awfully guilty of not posting for a long time, I have decided to publish this sooner than intended. This one is a meaty one and there are several things taking place here. I have to say, I honestly enjoyed writing this one. So, here it is.

Before we go further though, few quick answers to the reviews and PMs I got. **w** **arsage** asked me about the importance of future pairings to Hatorama due to his standing in the village, as of now, I am keeping it pretty open. If there is a pairing, it will come well after the Third Shinobi War. Also, when it concerns Tsuki, he is kind of a foreshadowing. I do not know how many will pick up on him before the reveal is done, but I hope some people do.

Fujita will remain a mystery. There will be snippets here and there to clue in on his psyche, but nothing major will happen - by that I mean I wont give an OMAKE on him. There have been some interesting mentions about Danzo in the reviews which are unnervingly correct about the kind of relationship he and Hatorama shares.

Well, that's it for now. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 24 – Misconceptions And Duty**

It was yet another messenger run and I was glad that it went smoother –considering we were very close to the border of Kusa, which were the frontlines – without running into any Iwa ninjas. Ever since that first encounter with Iwa ninja, we have been ambushed a couple of times by foreign shinobi. But, nothing too dangerous. A couple of skirmishes here and there seem to sort out most of the difference in our team. Especially with Fujita mellowing out, we had pretty good teamwork in my opinion.

Roku had blossomed into a human tank from a shy little girl. The more she learned to harness her in-born power, the confident she grew into herself. Also, with Fujita refraining from being a dick, her friendship with Fujita has been mended. However, both Fujita and me were still like fire and water (considering our chakra types, it was pretty ironic, truly). Roku was the mediator between us and I didn't mind it that much either.

Despite things going well, I couldn't help but feel that Tsuki sensei still didn't like me. I thought I was making progress with the man a few weeks ago. But, all of a sudden, he began to act coldly towards me like he used to do at the beginning. Even, Roku was confused in regards to this. But, I didn't think about it much to be honest. As long as the man acted impartially and kept our resident psychopath on a tight leash, I wouldn't mind him being cold towards me.

I have begun to notice a disturbing detail about Fujita recently. I don't know if Roku or Tsuki sensei have noticed yet, but it was becoming increasingly evident as time passed. Even for ninjas, his addiction to killing people was beginning to feel strange for me. But, I guess it was my feelings from Before acting up. Considering how I had killed at least half of his kill count, I was in no place to judge it.

All in all, I was content with how peaceful – as peaceful as it could get with a freaking war going on – things have been for our team.

(*****)

But as fate would have it, it wouldn't last long.

We were returning from yet another messenger run – this time a little bit further into the battlezone – when things took a very nasty turn in my opinion. We were just ten minutes away from the border of the Fire country and into Kusa, when fate decided to play with us.

I looked up at signal flare burning high above the treeline, slightly to our left and behind, and groaned internally. Even Tsuki sensei looked tense at the sighting of the signal flare. Anyone with common sense would. But, it can't be said for Fujita. Kami, why did he have to look so eager?

Tsuki sensei motioned us to stop. From my estimation, it would take us five minutes to reach the destination where the signal flare lit up. That was awfully close to our team, and the worst part is we weren't even aware of someone this close to us.

"Hatorama, I heard you were a sensor. Can you give us a brief on the situation?" Tsuki sensei asked in a tight voice.

Fujita snapped towards me as if he didn't believe it.

I let out a huge sigh, "I don't have any formal training sensei. But, I will try."

"You are a sensor? Why didn't you tell us?" Fujita shouted at me.

"Hato kun, you are a sensor?" Roku asked me in disbelief.

"Later," I said to her and crouched down and touched the ground with the tip of my fingers.

Tsuki sensei's eyebrows rose in response to my action. I didn't have any time to mind it. As I concentrated on spreading my senses into the ground and let it ripple through as far as I could get without harming myself from information overflow, an aerial overview – with me at the center and expanding rapidly in a circular fashion - emerged in my head.

I could feel Tsuki sensei, Fujita, and Roku around me. A little behind us from the direction of Konoha, four signatures were approaching us rapidly. _Allies_ – I breathed in relief. And this particular team, I was more than familiar with.

As I spread it further, I grimaced. A lone signature was flickering as if it was on the verge of death. _A Konoha Anbu_ – my mind supplied. I wondered who could push an Anbu to such a state and make his request for help this close to the border.

As I spread it further, I saw a bright signature closing in on the Anbu from the direction of Kusa. My eyes popped out in horror.

"Hatorama, what's the situation?" Tsuki sensei asked in a hurry.

At that exact moment, Minato's team joined our team. Minato took one look at my posture and halted. But, I didn't mind any of them, instead, I spread my sensing further and a cold pit of ice formed in my stomach. I realized that there literally was no time to waste if I don't want to die. I abruptly stood up and began reporting my findings.

"A Konoha Anbu, probably injured heavily and on the verge of death is two minutes away from our location. One signature is closing in on him fast. And I think the Anbu has some very sensitive information if his call for help is any indication with this close to Fire country border."

Minato and Tsuki sensei nodded with a grave face.

"Then, it's easy, there are eight of us here. We can handle one man easily," Fujita snorted not knowing the immensity of the situation.

Minato shot him a disapproving glare that curbed his interruption entirely.

"Oh no, oh no, if only its that simple," I spat on the ground in anger. "We are screwed sensei, if we live from this, it would be a fucking miracle. I sensed almost twelve ninjas completing an encirclement with us in the center."

Tsuki sensei and Minato looked grave.

"Details," Minato said in agitation.

"Ten Chunin and probably two Jonin in the encirclement," I said gravely. "We might have a chance if we hurry before encirclement. But, if we retrieved the Anbu, it would be hard."

"I understand," Minato said gravely. "No time to waste Tsuki san, I will rescue the Anbu. You will lead the others from the encirclement."

"Ah Minato san, I think it would be better if you stall the guy pursuing and Tsuki sensei retrieves the Anbu," I added hastily listening to the plan.

"Shut up, Hatorama," Tsuki sensei hissed at me but Minato stopped him with a gesture.

"Any reasons for that, Hato kun?" Minato asked me critically.

"The one pursuing," I gulped nervously, "feels very similar to Kushina nee."

While Tsuki sensei and others looked at me in confusion, Minato paled as he realized how severe the situation was. They had a fucking Jinchuriki in pursuit. Minato gave a thoughtful look at Hatorama once he composed himself and nodded.

"I understand," Minato said gravely. "But, there is no need for that. Tsuki san, lead them out of the encirclement. I will retrieve the Anbu. And we will be having a talk about things you shouldn't know when I return."

"But, Minato san," I interrupted in a hurry unmindful of Tsuki sensei's angry glare or Minato's pointed look.

This was no joking matter. If Minato wasn't there, I would have told Tsuki to abandon the Anbu and save our skins. I know Minato was strong, but to fight in an encirclement of twelve shinobi and a fucking Jinchuriki to boot was a death wish. Unless…

"Here, take this with you," Minato tossed a kunai to me and I eyed the seal on it.

My eyes widened in recognition, if I was right, then this might help us out of the tricky situation.

"Is this what I think it is?" I asked Minato softly.

Being Tobirama's grandson, I had once glanced upon Hirashin. While this wasn't identical to that, I knew clearly that Minato has done his own personal modification just looking at it.

"It's just a prototype, it's still not complete," Minato smiled at me, "but it will work in a pinch. I hope this works perfectly. If not, just tell her that I loved her."

"You," I spluttered angrily. "You better make it alive. I am not telling her anything."

I growled in reply and took off not waiting for the others. The others eyed us suspiciously but didn't fall far behind us. Tsuki sensei was practically glowering at me. But, I was too caught up in the situation to give a fuck about his glowering. Kakashi's team and my teammates were irritated with me, but as they knew how serious the situation was, they let the matter go.

However, Kakashi was entirely another thing.

"Will he make it out?" he hissed at me as he matched my pace.

"Like the fuck I know, Kakashi," I growled back at him, "he should, if everything works as it is supposed to."

He understood what I was telling, being a child prodigy and all that, but he too cursed softly under his breath. It was so uncharacteristic for Kakashi he knew that Obito almost stumbled before righting himself again.

"Hatorama, explain now," Tsuki sensei growled at last unable to stomach his irritation any longer.

I paid little heed to his words as I once again stopped to sense our situation. It took me only a few moments but I couldn't help but grimace.

"The encirclement is complete," I said gravely. "Four Chunin and one Jonin in front of us. We have to punch through them in the shortest amount of time possible to avoid being ganged up by others."

Tsuki sensei looked at me in anger. However, he nodded a moment later owing to the gravity of the situation. He immediately took off, taking point, to head off the Jonin.

"Roku, stay beside me and under no condition move ahead to engage," I said to Roku who nodded grimly, "you too Fujita," I added to him causing Fujita to bristle.

"Obito, take care of Rin. All we need to do is punch through the encirclement. Do not engage in extended combat," Kakashi ordered to his teammates.

"Oi," Obito began to object.

"Shut it Obito," I hissed angrily. "And you too Fujita. Obito and Fujita will take the rear and ensure the safety of Roku and Rin. Me and Kakashi will be taking point. And I repeat, under no condition engage in prolonged combat. Focus on escaping the encirclement."

Not waiting for them to argue, I pushed off in pursuit of Tsuki sensei.

"But, but," Obito spluttered behind me, "what about Minato sensei?"

"If all goes well, he will make it," I said as I eyed the kunai he had given me.

"But,"

"Have some trust in sensei, you idiot." Kakashi snapped at him causing Obito to grumble.

As we reached Tsuki sensei, he was already engaged in combat with Iwa's Jonin.

"Kakashi, after me," I said in a hurry, "I am a suiton user."

Kakashi was about to rush into battle one of the chunin with his chakra saber, but held back hearing me. At that moment, I finished my hand seals as the chunin as he charged at me. I thanked the gods that Kakashi was smart.

 **Suiton – Suishoba**

A wave of water exploded from my hands and rushed towards the three chunnin rushing towards me. They panicked for a second and only one managed to escape my B-rank jutsu.

"Now," I shouted forming the second set of hand seals.

At that moment, Kakashi injected Raiton chakra into my water wave. The two chunin caught in the wave were promptly electrocuted. They were also hit by the kunais thrown by Rin and Roku. As I finished my seals two water prisons emerged and caught the two electrocuted chunin in a water prison each with a clone standing above it to keep them imprisoned.

The third chunin was promptly blasted with two fireballs in midair by Fujita and Obito.

"Move," I shouted and didn't pause to hold back.

As we passed by the two Jonins, a hail of kunai attacked the Iwa Jonin causing him to blanch and scramble away. Thus freeing Tsuki sensei. Tsuki sensei formed a clone to engage with the Jonin and as me and Kakashi did the same.

Our group went ahead, making the Iwa Jonin curse. I could feel a few chakra signatures catching up to the position where we were engaging the Iwa nin earlier.

"Fujita, Obito, take point," me and Kakashi fell back to allow others to go ahead and we took the rear.

My chakra was already half gone.

"The border station is ten minutes away," Tsuki sensei said grimly. "Hold nothing back, use all your reserves to reach the border station."

We all shot forth, with me, Kakashi and Tsuki sensei bringing the rear.

Just then a huge flair of chakra emitted from behind us causing even Tsuki sensei to be shocked. We all stood stock-still for a moment before I came to my senses and started to urge them to run as fast as we can. If the sensor in the border station didn't pick up this huge flair of chakra, then they were better of dead in my opinion. Immediately, I could feel the chakra signatures following us stop and shoot off in the opposite direction. Probably to encircle Minato.

"What the hell was that?" Obito asked as we sped up.

"Minato san has engaged the enemy," I said in a subdued tone.

"Then, we must go help him," Obito shouted at me.

"The best thing you can do for Minato san is to reach the border station in the next few minutes," I said shooting a glare at him.

"But, but," Obito faltered and looked as if he was ready to return.

Even Kakashi and Rin looked as if they wanted to go back.

"Trust me, we will be more of a hindrance than help," I said trying to calm them. "Minato san has his own plan."

"And you know what he is thinking?" Kakashi asked me coldly.

"Oh, I do," I chuckled gravely, "and Kushina nee is going to skin me alive for allowing him to do that."

Kakashi exchanged a look with Obito. It was clear that they weren't happy.

"You go on, I will go help Minato," Tsuki sensei said, at last, gritting his teeth.

"There is no need sensei," I hurriedly added before he could run back into the encirclement. "Minato san knows what he is doing."

"And what would that be?" Tsuki sensei snapped at me.

"Hirashin" I whispered looking at the kunai in my hands.

Tsuki sensei looked at me and the kunai. It was clear that he didn't understand it yet. However, he understood that there was plan to Minato's madness. Ninjas were usually secretive bunch, so I guess he understood that Minato had something up his sleeve.

Before we could delve further four chakra signatures rushed towards us from the border station. And promptly, Tsuki sensei informed them of what they had stumbled across. As the explanation finished I could feel the newcomers getting angry with. It was clear that they felt that Tsuki sensei should have helped Minato to retrieve the sensitive information instead of helping a bunch of genin escape from the encirclement.

I didn't mind any of this one bit. I motioned Rin to come near.

"You know medical jutsu," I asked sharply.

"Why?" she asked in confusion.

"I have a feeling that you might need to stabilize Minato san," I said gravely.

Rin's face paled and she looked as if she was going to throttle me for answers. However, I paid it no heed and tossed the kunai in my hand into the air under everyone's bewildered gazes. As it flew, I injected a bit of chakra into the Hirashin like a ping.

And just like that, Minato popped into existence out of thin air carrying an Anbu on his shoulders. He promptly vomited blood from his mouth and fainted right away. His body landed with a thud and I could his sleeves were entirely burned, even his eyebrows looked singed.

Rin's scream tore me out of observing his body and I saw Rin scrambling to his side to check on him. Kakashi shot me a vicious glare and I was sure Obito would have fireballed my ass if not for the others present. Tsuki sensei was eyeing me with a hard glare. The others though looked mostly confused. It was not always that one saw a barely alive human being pop out of thin air after all.

"Hirashin," I said slowly, "designed by Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage. It allows the user to transport between two points. It requires an extensive understanding of Fuinjutsu and talent to grasp the space-time concept. One of the many forbidden techniques he invented."

"Minato san has barely grasped the surface. The seal in the kunai was merely a prototype and if I have to guess it was not yet stabilized. Transporting two human beings with such an unstable seal would cause a severe backlash on the user and the people who are transported."

When I finished everyone was looking at me weirdly.

"You knew there is such a risk and yet agreed to his plan," Kakashi was literally seething.

"It is either that or get ourselves killed," I replied gravely. "I don't know about you Kakashi, I would prefer my head stay where it is."

Kakashi growled menacingly, and I had to note that he almost sounded like a rabid dog, and Obito was almost about to go ballistic. The adults though understood my statement and they nodded gravely. Roku and Fujita didn't have much idea on what transpired owing to the fact that I had only said half the reasons.

"Still, it is a bad plan, Hatorama," Tsuki sensei berated me. "If you have informed me earlier about this possibility, then we could have come up with a better possibility."

"A better possibility," I scoffed in return not bothering to mask my scorn. "You should be glad that this possibility even existed sensei."

"Hatorama, I'm your sensei and I have more experience than you. If I had all the information in the beginning, I could have come up with a better plan. Your propensity to withhold information with your allies has caused harm to Minato san."

 _A better plan? What could it do against a fucking Jinchuriki?_ I scoffed mentally.

"This is not the first time. The day I took you in as my student I told you to stop hiding things," Tsuki sensei looked as if he was going to start a rant, however, there were other sensible people.

"Enough," one of the newcomers hollered. "Keep your team troubles for later. Now lets vacate this spot before the Iwa nin catch up. We can discuss things once we returned to the border station."

The other newcomers nodded as they went to pick up Minato and the Anbu. Tsuki sensei shot me a glare and took off with Fujita and a reluctant Roku in his tow. Team Minato looked at me like they wanted to bury me alive. Especially Rin. I didn't know what the status of Minato was, but if her expression was any indication, it was way worse than I had imagined.

Kakashi eyed me coldly before letting out a snort and taking off after others. The rest of Team Minato followed him, leaving me behind with one of the newcomers. He eyed me for a moment as if contemplating what to tell, instead, he let out a huge sigh and followed the others.

All the misunderstandings could be avoided if I informed them that they were just minutes away from Iwa's Jinchuriki. But, that is not an option. After all, the reason I found about it was because of Kushina herself. And Kushina being a Jinchuriki was an S-rank secret that I wasn't supposed to know. It would only lead to more questions. Questions, which I didn't want to answer.

I let out a huge sigh at how thorny the situation was and followed behind.

(*****)

I leapt off the tree branch carrying the Anbu on my shoulders. We were nearing Konoha and I was both thankful and dreadful for it. Thankful that this ordeal was going to end soon and I could have some much-needed peace of mind and dreadful of facing an infuriated Kushina.

Kakashi, who was carrying Minato, and Rin, who was tagging along with us, were rushing towards Konoha single-mindedly, pushing forward day and night without rest. As much as I would have liked a little rest, I knew I was in no position to request some based on how they were not even bothering to look at me.

When we had reached the border station, which was a glorified bunker, Minato and the Anbu had been stabilized. However, they weren't completely out of the danger zone. Minato's innards have been badly injured and his chakra coils overburdened – probably from the backlash of Hirashin. The Anbu was also critical owing to the fact that he had numerous injuries. Hence, it was promptly determined that they would need to be brought back to Konoha.

That created a bit of a problem. Minato's team was en-route to deliver a missive from Konoha to frontlines. With Minato injured, a team without a Jonin sensei would be like a fish on a chopping board if they were to venture into the frontlines. Even though it was only a courier mission, the risks were still there.

The border station was already undermanned to spare any personnel. But, owing to the time-sensitive nature of the mission, our team was asked to do the mission. However Tsuki sensei flat out refused to take his genin – I was certain it was because of Roku – into the frontlines as our team was not yet up to that standard.

After a lot of back and forth, it was decided that Obito, myself and Fujita will be led by Tsuki sensei to the frontlines the next day. Since Rin was a medic-in-training she was tasked with bringing Minato and the Anbu back to Konoha. Kakashi would take lead and travel with Roku to transport the two injured men. Even then, Tsuki sensei refused to let Roku travel back to Konoha without his supervision.

And yet another back and forth started between Tsuki sensei and the people manning the border station. In the end, it was decreed that me, Kakashi and Rin would transport the injured men, while Tsuki sensei, Obito, Fujita, and a Chunin from the station would complete Team Minato's mission. Roku would be in the border station and would be taking over the Chunin's duty for the day.

Once decided, Kakashi immediately took off without any delay. An anxious Rin didn't feel like resting either. However, I was already running low on chakra and found it difficult to keep up with their maddening pace all the way back to Konoha. Kakashi and Rin had alternated between themselves to carry Minato, thus reducing their energy expenditure unlike me. With the added weight, I was lagging more and more behind as the time passed.

Hence, I was very thankful for the ordeal to end when the village gates came into sight. Even though I was dreading facing an irate Kushina, I was sure that I could make her see reason unlike Minato's teammates or Tsuki sensei.

Speaking of Tsuki sensei, I had to admit that the man was becoming more and more hostile towards me as each day passes. For example, the way he behaved just before we set off to Konoha all but confirmed it.

 _"I will see, brat," Tsuki sensei had sneered, "how you will explain yourself to the Hokage and others of your actions. You have not only withheld information from your sensei – which is subject to insubordination – and also endangered the lives of an Anbu and a respectable Jounin due to your reluctance to share that information. If I have to say, it is grounds for treasonous behavior. Your ancestors would be proud of you, won't they?"_

That was yet another headache I have to deal with. All in all, this mission was becoming a total catastrophe.

As soon as we reached the gates, the Anbu stationed in the shadows leapt towards me after recognizing the Anbu on my shoulders. Entry formalities were done in a few moments, allowing us to take the injured men into the village. The Anbu took off with his fellow compatriot towards Anbu bunker. He also took care of the scroll of sensitive information the Anbu and Minato had guarded with their lives, leaving us free to take Minato to the hospital.

Kakashi and Rin shot off without waiting for me. Rather than following them, I took my time to make my way to the hospital. I was on my last legs and I wasn't going to foolishly hop on top of buildings without a proper reason. It took me a while, but I finally made my way to the hospital and promptly collapsed in the reception of exhaustion.

As I soon drifted into much-needed rest, the room darkened around me.

(*****)

When I came back to my senses the next day, I was in a hospital bed. Curiously enough it was my first hospital episode. And if the experience of stale rooms and medicine smells were any indication, I was sure that I would do everything in my power return here. But, that's all for later. For now, I had an angry jinchuriki to calm down.

Kushina giving me a flat stare was not something I wanted to wake up to. I slowly raised myself to sit and massaged my head. Fun fact – chakra exhaustion obviously results in a killer migraine. Oh joy.

"So?" Kushina asked in a silky voice, "my kid brother and my idiot boyfriend decided to test out an incomplete seal that had the potential to rip bodies apart is supposed to humor me?"

"Nee san,"

"No, shut up. I have had enough of both your idiotics. Of all people present there you should be the one to stop that dumbo from that madness. But, what do I hear?" her voice reached a dangerously low level, "Kakashi tells me you knew exactly what he was going to do and you knew that it was a prototype. And yet, you allowed him to do it. Is that what I have taught you in Fuinjutsu?"

I gulped in reply.

"I need a proper answer Hato kun, or else…" Kushina let that threat hanging over my head.

But, before I could reply, a tapping of cane came from the door. I exchanged a glance with Kushina and let out a huge sigh.

"Hato kun," Danzo walked in with his grave voice. "I expected better from you."

And that was the last fucking straw.

"You fools," I shouted angrily causing both of them to back a little. "Do you even have any idea what kind of danger we were facing out there?"

I was basically spitting in anger. And my migraine wasn't helping.

"Hatorama, calm down," Hiruzen voice came from outside as he walked in with Kakashi and Rin in tow, both glowering at me.

"I have received the report of the events that transpired from both Noharu Rin and Hatake Kakashi. Now, I will need your report. I gather from their report that there were few particulars only you and Minato knew. Unfortunately, Minato will not be able to make a report any sooner."

 _' And so, give your report'_ my mind supplied sarcastically.

"What about the Anbu agent we rescued?" I asked after a while.

"He is incapacitated," this time it was Danzo who replied.

"Well, alright, but I would like to ask those two to leave," I said unceremoniously.

Both Kakashi and Rin bristled, but they eventually stepped out without making a fuss.

"Nee san, we need privacy seals," I said as I rubbed my temples.

As Kushina's eyebrows rose, Danzo and Hiruzen exchanged looks. Seeing Hiruzen nod, Kushina hastily drew a privacy seal and engulfed the room within it.

"To start it off, I know of your status in the village Kushina nee, the real status," I said looking her in the eye.

Kushina blanched for a second, she maintained the composure. Hiruzen stopped smoking the pipe and eyed me critically. Danzo, on the other hand, looked at me like he was proud. It was weird, to be honest.

"That's an S-rank secret Hatorama. I hope you have a proper explanation for it," Hiruzen's voice was cold.

"Nothing big, actually I worked it out myself. Everyone knows one of bijuu was sealed into Mito Uzumaki san. However, there is no indication as to where it is now. With Mito san dead, there are only a handful of people who can control it. After I started studying fuinjutsu, I learned that Uzumakis were the ideal containers. And there is only one living Uzumaki in the village."

Danzo nodded like a proud teacher watching his pupil perform. Hiruzen was looking at me in consideration. Kushina though was not looking at all. She was looking at her hands on her lap.

"But, I am also a sensor. After spending so much time with nee san," Kushina looked at me abruptly after that last word, "I began to pick up a secondary chakra in her body, very volatile and dangerous."

"I understand," Hiruzen said calmly. "But I don't see how it relates to your mission or the events that occurred during your return trip."

I chuckled mirthlessly in response to that, "The main pursuer whom Minato engaged had a chakra which was similar to Kushina nee."

Both Hiruzen and Danzo looked startled. This was news to them.

"When I sensed, the Anbu was being pursued by Iwa's Jinchuriki. That must mean whatever the information that was in the scroll was really sensitive," I eyed Hiruzen thoughtfully but he didn't give any indication as to what the information was about. "I also saw Minato's team rushing towards our location. But then again, we were also being encircled by ten chunin and two jonin from Iwa. If the encirclement was complete, even with Minato sand and Tsuki sensei we would be badly outnumbered and outclassed. So, the only option was to push through the encirclement before we were ganged upon."

Danzo nodded in the back.

"The initial plan was for Tsuki sensei to lead us to break through the encirclement and Minato san to rescue the Anbu and meet up with us as soon as possible. But, I objected since I knew the chance for Minato san to escape from encirclement with the Anbu after engaging the Jinchuriki would be abysmal. I instead suggested Minato san to stall the Jinchuriki while Tsuki sensei rescued the Anbu. If both came back to help us to break out of the encirclement, at least half of us might live."

Kushina was beginning to look pale as I continued my verbal report. Hiruzen too realized that the presence of the jinchuriki complicated matters further than he had imagined. Danzo too was looking grave. I mostly attributed his look to the probable loss of sensitive information.

"But, Minato san stuck with the original plan. He had developed a prototype for Hirashin," I saw greed glitter around Danzo's eyes. "It wasn't complete. The seal wasn't stable. Even Minato san wasn't aware of the drawbacks. I think it is still a long way from becoming a Hirashin seal. Anyways, Minato san gave me an anchoring point for Hirashin and asked Tsuki sensei to lead us out of the encirclement. I knew that since Hirashin seal was just a prototype there might be some drawbacks to it. So, I also knew that the moment Minato san performed the Hirashin there was a huge chance of him becoming incapacitated. We both knew the risks. That's why I pushed ahead to a safe point to initiate the anchor."

"When I reached the safety of Konoha shinobi, I immediately initiated the anchor to pull Minato san and the Anbu out of the encirclement. I expected that would be some backlash due to the stability of the seal, so I asked Rin to be ready to treat the two. However, I never imagined that the backlash would be this heavy."

"No, the seal was relatively stable, there would have only been minor backlash as the distance wasn't too for," Kushina interrupted me as she explained what went wrong with the seal, "but, since he was also pulling another person with him, the backlash was so volatile that injured his innards and chakra coils heavily."

I winced at that. That was going to keep Minato off his feet for at least some time.

"I could have avoided all the misunderstandings between me and the others if I had explained about jinchuriki. But, then again, they would have pressed me for more information on how I knew it was a jinchuriki. Owing to the fact there was an S-rank secret involved, I felt it was best to keep it to myself," I said at last as a way of explanation to my actions.

"I see," Hiruzen looked at me calmly and just for a moment it looked like he was proud of me, but then it could have been a trick of the light.

"Hiruzen," Danzo drawled from the side, "I don't think there is anything wrong with his actions. Considering the sensitivity of the information we have received, I say it was well worth it. If anything, Hato kun must be commended for his level-headedness."

"We will see about that, Danzo," Hiruzen calmly stated as he patted my back affectionately. "But, I would still like to know why you suffered from chakra exhaustion."

"Ah that," I scratched my head a little, "I created three water clones, two water prisons and performed a B-rank jutsu in quick succession. Once we reached safety, I had to immediately carry the Anbu for the rest of the way to Konoha without any rest."

Hiruzen didn't look too amused with that. He gave me a hard glare. Danzo too looked at me with disapproval. Kushina, though, was looking thoughtful.

"Rest well," Hiruzen informed me, "I expect your team to reach Konoha in the next two days if all goes well. Use this time to recuperate."

Hiruzen and Danzo exited from the room leaving me and Kushina alone.

"Sorry nee san, I didn't know the backlash would be that bad," I said as a form of apology.

Kushina merely eyed me as she contemplated something.

"How long have you known," Kushina asked after some time.

"For a while," I said meeting her eyes.

"And, you aren't afraid?" Kushina raised her eyebrows.

"Why should I be?" I countered in reply causing her to gawk. "Nee san, I am not a brain dead idiot. You are a jailor and a prison. Why would I be afraid of a jailor who keeps a monster in prison? If anything, I only admire you more."

Kushina didn't reply for a long while. Then suddenly, I was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug that left me feeling dizzy. The warmth that flooded into me was so good that I felt content. Even the migraine I felt was not an issue anymore. However, vaguely I began to realize that I will be running out of air soon.

"Nee san…. air… air" I croaked out, at last, causing Kushina to release me in mortification.

I hungrily gulped down a few lungfuls of air before even looking at her.

"As nice as the hug was, I think it would be better if you don't do that again, nee san" I said jokingly.

With tears in her eyes, Kushina chuckled at me. She wiped away her tears and stood up suddenly. I looked at her in confusion.

"You rest," she smiled at me. "I have to go teach some brats to not bully my otutuo."

Watching her marching towards the door, I suddenly felt bad for Kakashi and Rin. While I could understand their anger towards me, I had to admit that their lack of consideration for me during the return trip didn't exactly sit well with me.

Well, if Kushina was going to take care of that tidbit, I was more than happy to let her try.

(*****)

"Oi Senju Baka," I woke to a rude was shouting in my ears and shaking me awake that evening.

As I groggily sat up and rubbed my eyes clear of sleep, Harami's pouting figure came into my vision. We both eyed each other for a second before I groaned and she smirked.

"Well, you do remember that you have to buy Anko and me Dango now, don't you?" Harami said in an overly sweet voice.

There had been a bet between me and the girls. The subject of the bet was what I would be admitted to the hospital for the first time. While there was no doubt that I would be admitted one day or other, but there was always a debate on what I would be first admitted for. Harami and Anko had bet on Chakra Exhaustion obviously.

"Yeah, yeah, alright," I groaned slightly.

"When will you be discharged from the hospital?" Harami asked happily as she saw me nod.

"Hmmm, it's only mild chakra exhaustion. So, I guess I will be discharged tomorrow," I replied.

"Oh, then we can only postpone that for the next time we meet," Harami deflated.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"I am going on a mission," Harami said eagerly causing me to sit up straight, "my first out of village mission. Its nothing like the ones you have though, I mean it's only to a village within the Fire Country. Still, it would be great to at last step out of Konoha. We are leaving tomorrow early morning. My shishou gave me some time to go pack up."

"Oh, k k," I replied unenthusiastically, "what about Anko?"

"Oh, Anko will be here in a few minutes. I ran into her near the missions desk. She just returned from a mission with Orochimaru san."

 _'Huh, the snake bastard left for a mission huh. That's odd.'_ I mused to myself.

Ever since that conversation he had with Hiruzen about remaining inside the village, Orochimaru has been handling mostly administrative duties inside the village. He hasn't taken even one mission out of Konoha's walls. That's why it came as a surprise to me when I learned that he had taken an out of village mission.

"Well, since you will be not able to make it tonight, we can only wait till all three of us are in the village for the dango," Harami muttered in a dejected voice.

"I say it is all your fault," she glared at me angrily. "You are never in the village. At least I see Anko now and then. I haven't seen you in months, you know. Some kind of a friend you are," she huffed.

I laughed weekly to that statement. While what she said was true, it was useless to blame me. Most of the time we were either running missions or having training sessions. Tsuki sensei rarely gave us free time these days. Still, I had to admit that I had been a shitty friend to Harami. Maybe, I could rectify it as much as possible in the future.

"So, what direction are you going towards? Capital? Or one of the borders?" I asked getting up from my bed and throwing the covers away.

"Capital," Harami chirped.

"Hmm," I hummed as I stretched my limbs and searched for my possessions. "That's better, the border has been crazy. I am relieved you aren't going anywhere near there."

"Is it that bad?" Harami asked curiously.

My entire body felt so sore, and the migraine was not helping. I quickly took stock of my possessions and arranged them to my preference sitting on the bed.

"Don't even ask? We were all lucky to come back from the last mission. Even regular courier runs are becoming dangerous these days," I said as I picked up my bow and a quiver full of arrows.

"That bad huh," Harami replied softly. "Oh, by the way, where are your team? I haven't seen them here."

"They are still at the border. Running a mission. I returned to deliver an injured Anbu," I said as I stretched my limbs and heard a mighty pop echo from several of my body parts. "Come, let's go."

"Wait," Harami called in a panicked tone as I perched on the window sill. "What are you doing?"

"Buying you dango, obviously," I replied with a smile and hopped from the hospital window to the outside.

The shriek I heard from my hospital room was reply enough for me. A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. I landed smoothly on the ground as I was only on the second floor and performed a roll-up to stem the momentum. I winced a little as my legs hurt since I wasn't using any chakra.

"Wait, you Senju baka!" Harami's shrill shout came first, followed by herself.

There was a huge grin etched across her face.

"What if you injure yourself again, baka?" she shouted at me with that stupid grin still present on her face.

"I'm not using any chakra," I shrugged in reply.

Harami slugged my shoulder hard in reply. Before we could move, two shrieks sounded from the same window I had jumped out of. I looked up in confusion to see a nurse and Anko looking down on us. While the nurse was furious, Anko was looking at us with glee as she rubbed her neck.

"Hatorama Senju, get back to your bed this instant," the nurse shrieked at me.

Contrary to her, "Wait for me," Anko shouted and jumped out of the window.

"Hatorama Senju, get back here," the nurse's shriek echoed in my ears as I booked it.

Harami and Anko exchanged a glance for a moment before following me. As I turned to look at the shrieking nurse, I saw an amused Orochimaru watching the drama with a small smile.

(*****)

The disapproving look Biwako shot me when I entered the compound made me squirm. It was clear that she had me told about my less than stellar behavior at the hospital. Nevertheless, the hug she greeted me with was enough to assuage any of misgivings in returning to a disapproving Biwako. I let her fuss about me for a bit till Asuma came in.

As me and Asuma chatted about our missions – as much as we were allowed to – dinner was prepared. We had a nice family dinner with all of us present including Hiruzen and Orochimaru. Considering how busy those both were, it was a miracle in itself that they had time to attend the dinner.

As the dinner progressed, I began to notice some sort of disconnect between Hiruzen and Asuma. It was becoming more and more prominent that Asuma wasn't getting along with Hiruzen. And it was no secret that I tended to stay away from Orochimaru as much as possible. But, for Biwako's sake, all of us acted civilly to each other.

After dinner, I asked Asuma if anything was bothering him and whether he wanted to talk to me. He looked at me for a long moment before letting out a huge sigh and replied that it was nothing. Without speaking another word he started walking towards his room. I stood silently in the hallway at a loss. While I knew that Asuma and Hiruzen would have a falling out in the near future, I didn't know what it was exactly about. Even though I could guess the reason, there was nothing I could do about it.

(*****)

I stood in the Hokage office with my team. Tsuki sensei and the others had returned earlier that day, Our entire team was asked to assemble in the Hokage's office after two hours. While that was nothing surprising, the surprising part came from the fact that the Jonin Commander Shikaku Nara, Orochimaru The Sannin, Danzo The Warhawk, Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two other advisors were waiting for us. Not to mention the several Anbu, both openly and secretly, guarding the Hokage. Quite frankly, it was an intimidating line-up.

While I was glad that my entire team came back alive – considering the very real possibility that the Iwa Jinchuriki was lurking around the border - the cold shoulders my team was giving me made me a little vexed.

The Hokage eyed us all critically for a long time with his pipe belching smoke constantly. Danzo was squinting his eyes and was giving Tsuki sensei a hard look. And if the less-than-impressed looks the Hokage's advisors were giving our team was any indication, then I could only conclude that we were in some deep shit.

"Tsuki san," Shikaku Nara said with an uncharacteristic brisk voice, "I have called your team to meet the Hokage to discuss the recent events your team had been involved in."

"Hai," Tsuki san briefly nodded that he understood.

"I gather from your report that you aren't pleased with Hatorama's conduct during the events," Shikaku Nara raised his eyebrows.

"With all due respect Hokage sama, I have raised my valid concerns to you. I hope that you can address it impartially," Tsuki sensei said in a tight voice.

"By concerns, you mean, accusing Hato kun of insubordination?" Orochimaru said in a silky voice that made me feel like dunked into ice.

 _'You have got to be kidding me,'_ I cursed mentally looking at Tsuki sensei in exasperation.

"Yes, Orochimaru san. Hatorama kun's behavior of late has been becoming more and more unruly. He is withholding information from the team that could potentially get us killed. As evidenced in the recent events, Hatorama's habit of withholding information has put Minato san in hospital. I would be glad to know that this is being addressed impartially so that Hatorama kun could understand the gravity of his actions."

I looked at my sensei in askance. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at my sensei's stubborn personality. He could have at least discussed with me in private before filing this complaint.

"Tsuki san," the Hokage's calm voice pulled me out of my thoughts, "you have disappointed me."

If anything, Tsuki sensei looked bewildered at the turn of events. I could only pity my stubborn sensei.

"I expected more from an experienced war veteran like you," Hiruzen continued calmly. "I can see that you aren't happy with Hatorama withholding information from you, but your brash actions due to that doesn't suit a Jonin sensei."

"I suggest you remove him from his post," Danzo drawled from the side, eyeing Tsuki sensei with a hard glare. "With his distorted vision, he is unfit to teach."

Tsuki sensei looked as if he had eaten a fly. I could see his hands grip tightly to his sides. It looked like he was controlling his anger. While I agreed with Hiruzen's estimation of Tsuki sensei being brash, I didn't want him to be removed from the post. After all, anybody could make mistakes. And even then, Tsuki sensei was only being angry because I had withheld the information. While I wasn't sorry about my actions, I can't help but feel a little pity for my sensei. If anything, it was his caring for his team that made him act brashly. Removing him from his post was too cruel a punishment for it. And, apparently, Hiruzen thought so too.

"No Danzo," the Hokage spoke after a few moments, "while I am disappointed in him for his actions, removing him from his post would be too cruel. I can see that he cares about his genin a lot."

"Are you sure?" Danzo eyed Tsuki sensei like a poisonous spider. "It doesn't look like he cares for his team equally."

Tsuki sensei's arms trembled in response to that. Fujita and Roku were merely watching the entire thing in morbid fascination unaware of what was actually going on. Even I felt that I wasn't entirely aware of what was going on. There seemed to be some undercurrents here, but I couldn't catch on them.

"I am sure he treats them all with equality," Hiruzen's voice had a hard edge to it which wasn't present before. "And I hope that I am not mistaken Tsuki san."

"No, Hokage Sama," Tsuki sensei replied in a dull voice after a few moments and the entire tense atmosphere vanished.

"Good, then, in regards to the misunderstanding between your team, I have received Hatorama's report and we," Hiruzen motioned to his advisors, Orochimaru and Shikaku Nara, "are sure that Hatorama's actions were entirely justified. I am afraid I can't give you more details than that as it pertains to an S-rank secret that you aren't allowed to know."

Tsuki sensei looked at me with a glance that I wasn't able to determine what it meant.

"Meanwhile, we are also of the opinion that Hatorama Senju has performed brilliantly under stressful conditions without jeopardizing the objective of the impromptu mission and has withheld sensitive information under strenuous circumstances. These qualities exemplify his potential and his mature state of mind. Owing to that fact, we have decided to promote him to the rank of Chunin."

Then the entire room was silent as the last sentence sunk in. Tsuki sensei looked as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Fujita looked as if someone has plucked out both his eyes and even Roku looked shocked. Apart from our team, everyone else was sporting a gentle smile. I didn't even know that Orochimaru and Danzo could do that, for Kami's sake.

While I was still in the process of absorbing that last statement, Hiruzen commanded me.

"Hatorama Senju, step forward."

I mechanically obeyed the instruction. When Shikaku Nara handed the chunin vest to my hands and said some ceremonial bullshit, I was still processing the recent turn of events. If I was speaking honestly, I knew I would make chunin soon, but not this soon. The entire event felt surreal and I was still reeling from it when we all exited the Hokage's office.

"So," Tsuki sensei's voice shook me out of my reverie.

I looked up at him with a huge grin on my face, only for that grin to falter as I took in his face.

"So, you are happy then?" Tsuki sensei spoke to me in a caustic tone that made me take a step back in sheer surprise.

"I am sensei, I am sure anyone would be happy to be made chunin," I said politely.

"Chunin," Tsuki sensei sneered. It was a very ugly one. "You think you have earned that vest. Whatever brat, if you try any more of your shenanigans in the future missions, I will personally take care of you."

"Sensei," I was totally confused as to what the man was speaking about. "Sensei, I don't understand."

Tsuki sensei merely sneered at me.

"You all have two days off, meet me at the missions desk on the third day at the usual time," and he was gone.

I blankly stared at the spot he was in, unable to understand what I had done wrong. Fujita brushed past me and sneered before he too took off. I looked at his back for a few moments before turning around to see Roku looking at me nervously.

"Hato kun, congratulations," she said after a few more moments and she too took off after that before I could even reply.

I stood there feeling so confused at the state of affairs that even my happiness about my new promotion was stilted. In the end, I merely shook my head and started walking towards my home. My new chunin vest felt like more of a burden than anything else at that moment.

(*****)

 **OMAKE**

Roku felt like she was doing something wrong. The look on Hato kun's face outside of the Hokage's building was bothering her more than she could admit. She realized that she didn't like that look on Hato kun's face much. But, she didn't know what she should do anymore. It was all confusing. So, she went to the only place she knew to go when she was feeling particularly confused or sad in general.

Obaa san always helped her feel better. When the kids in the academy had mocked her voice it was Obaa san that comforted her. When she was feeling nervous out being placed in a team with two boys who could have been mean like other kids, it was Obaa san that told her not to lose hope. And she also made delicious food and allowed her to eat as much as she wanted. So, it was where she went.

"What brings you here kiddo," Obaa san's kind voice came in from the house as she reached it.

Roku merely shrugged. Obaa san's wrinkled old face looked at her for a few moments before giving an understanding smile. After her Kaa san had died, it was upto her Tou san to look after her. But, as loving and kind his Tou san was, it was Obaa san that filled the gap that Kaa san had left.

"Here, help yourself," Obaa san placed a large variety of sweets for her to gorge on in front of her.

Roku knew that Obaa san's home always contained sweets. It was not only her, but most of the kids would also visit Obaa san occasionally just for her sweets. But, Obaa san was much more Roku – even if she was not related to her by blood.

Roku gorged on the sweets with abandon. She was hungry today. She had been hungry for days so to speak. The last mission had not been that good. She felt like she was not good enough to be on the team. Especially when Tsuki sensei refused to take her for the second mission but took Fujita with him. It kinda hurt her a little.

"What's with the long face kiddo?" Obaa san asked from where she was knitting.

Knitting was one of Obaa san's hobbies she knew. Knitting and baking sweets.

"I don't know if I should be a ninja, Obaa san," Roku said timidly after a long time.

"Oh, why would say that?" Obaa san asked her warmly.

"I mean, I am not good in ninjutsu like Fujita kun. My Taijutsu is only average. And I don't know any genjutsu. Even Tsuki sensei thinks that I am not good enough. Why else would he leave me in the border station, but take Fujita kun along?" Roku asked with tears in her eyes.

"Ha ha ha," Obaa san's laughter was warm, there was no ridicule to it. "Kiddo, if we go by what you say then no one can be a ninja unless they are as good as Hokage sama."

"But, but," Roku stuttered, "I can't even ki…."

"Ah kiddo, is that what's bothering you?" Obaa san put down her knitting needles and moved close to her to give a huge hug that Roku didn't know she needed.

Roku didn't answer.

"Kiddo, there is a general misconception that shinobi are nothing but killers," Obaa san continued gently stroking her hair. "Shinobi are first and foremost protectors. They protect the people, land and other things from people who intend to harm. Yes, I won't lie that shinobi kill. But, they kill to protect. Do you get the difference?"

Roku nodded slowly as she thought over Obaa san's words.

"Its this war, I say," Obaa san clucked in discontent, "If not for it, you won't feel this pressured. Now, forget all these things. Just focus on coming back home. For me. You know that Obaa san loves you right. If you don't come home Obaa san would be very sad. So, do everything you can to come home."

Roku nodded her head determinedly.

"And if you feel that you aren't good enough, then work hard to improve. Ask help from your friends, teammates, your Tou san, and your sensei. Stop worrying about not being good enough. Start doing everything you can to change it."

 _Stop trying and start doing_

Hato kun's words echoed in her mind making her pause in her eating. She didn't know what to do with Hato kun. Hato kun had always been helpful when she felt down or confused, just like Obaa san. But…

"Ok kiddo, what's bothering you," Obaa san looked at her with a stern expression.

"I… I…" Roku faltered. She didn't know how to explain it.

Obaa san took a deep breath and gave her another warm hug that she melted into. She started petting her back and rubbing it in a soothing way. Lying in Obaa san's embrace she spoke. She spoke about how Hato kun had always helped her. She spoke of how Hato kun and Fujita kun never got along and how it was always Fujita kun who was at fault. She spoke about their latest mission and its aftermath. She spoke about Tsuki sensei expressing clearly that Hato kun was not trustworthy during their return journey. She spoke of the meeting in the Hokage's office and how Hato kun had been promoted to Chunnin because of those events.

"…. and when he stood there with a sad, confused look on his face, I didn't know what to do Obaa san. Tou san had told me to do everything Tsuki sensei says. But, seeing Hato kun like that, I feel bad, Obaa san."

Obaa san gently rubbed her back.

"You have been a bad friend Roku chan," Obaa san said after some time. "Hato kun had always helped you, hasn't he?"

Roku nodded her head. Tears were forming in her eyes.

"As a friend, you should be celebrating this good occasion with him," Obaa san said solemnly.

"But, Tsuki sensei,"

"Forget about what that brat Tsuki said," Obaa san shushed her. "You said that the Hokage said that Hato kun didn't do anything wrong, right?"

Roku merely nodded.

"Then, nothing is wrong in being his friend. If even Hokage himself says what Hato kun did was right, then he did nothing wrong. Remember, sometimes as a shinobi, you can't tell secrets even to your teammates, friends, and family. Because, for a shinobi, the village always comes first."

Roku remained silent for a long time. In the end, she queried what had been bothering her a lot.

"But what if Tsuki sensei is not happy with me?"

"Tch," Obaa san snorted. "If that brat Tsuki says not to speak to me any longer, will you follow it? No, right? Understand this, this is your life. Who you want to be friends with and who you want to speak to should only be determined by you. Don't allow others to do it. Hasn't Hato kun always helped you? It is now time for you to help Hato kun. The only question is if you are brave enough to help Hato kun."

Obaa san didn't speak much afterward. Roku was glad for that. She knew she had to think hard on this. But, after Obaa san had spoken, she understood that she had been stupid. If even Hokage sama was fine with Hato kun's actions, who is she to doubt it? Now, the only question was, as Obaa san said, whether she was brave enough to be Hato kun's friend.

And she knew she wanted to be Hato kun's friend. For that, she will try to be brave enough to help him. Because that is the duty of a friend. And Hato kun was her friend.

As Roku came to decision, she cheerfully began to eat all of the sweets Obaa san had given her.


	25. Chapter 25 - The Rise To Fame

**A/N: Hi folks, I hope all of you are well. Be safe and kindly follow safety precautions however hard it may be. Let's battle COVID-19 together. I will try to post another chapter as soon as possible.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25 – The Rise To Fame**

My expectations of things to rapidly change once I became a chunnin only ended up in disappointment. The rank was nothing more than a decoration as far as things were considered. We were still running the courier missions to the border stations, Fujita was still being an ass, Tsuki sensei was still being as cold and distant with me as much as possible, and Roku was the only one talking to me in our team in a normal basis. All in all, it was the same as it was a month ago.

But, I would have been a fool to not notice the tension between Roku and my other teammates. There was something brewing in there. Tsuki sensei was being unbearably harsh on Roku on some occasions. Fujita too talked less and less to Roku as the month wore on. But, as a result, me and Roku were getting even more closer to each other. We were even beginning to hang out after practice and missions.

On the other hand, Fujita was currently the poster child for sensei. In his view, Fujita could do nothing wrong. He mostly trained Fujita with increased attention, Roku on some occasions, but I was mostly left alone to deal with my training myself. Roku mostly trained alongside me when Tsuki sensei was paying attention to Fujita.

During training, I pushed Roku to her limits most often than not. As a result, she was making rapid progress to the level she was beginning to give me a run for my money during Taijutsu spars. Her Taijutsu was improving at an alarming rate that even I was astounded by it. Not to mention Fujita and Tsuki sensei. The weird thing was, even though Tsuki sensei was unbearably harsh on Roku, he still readily acknowledged her progress and constantly praised her.

All in all, Tsuki sensei was a contradicting mess. Neither me nor Roku could make heads or tails where the man was concerned. Discussing about Tsuki sensei's contradicting actions and his obvious favoritism of Fujita was the most discussed topic between me and Roku whenever we were alone. But, never once we discussed the obvious elephant in the room – meaning Tsuki sensei's dislike of me.

Things settled into a boring monotony as we ran missions to the border stations, trained, and hung out with each other as months passed by. By the time the fourth month came around, even Fujita was beginning to grumble about the state of affairs.

Minato was back in the field after two months of rest. He and Kushina seemed to be more close to each other than before. Kushina was beginning to become more subdued in his presence. The few times I had gone to dinner in their house, Team Minato had been giving me a stink eye. But, I didn't mind it much. For my attention have always been with the couple. They seemed to be more content than I have ever seen them. The look Minato gives to Kushina whenever she wasn't looking was filled with love. And Kushina, for her part, always had a content smile on her face.

Apart from that, I was getting more hugs from Kushina ever since our hospital conversation. We didn't speak about it, but I could sense that Kushina was more at ease with me. Earlier, she was always hyperactive and more exuberant. These days, she was content to sit in silence besides Minato and me whenever it was possible.

The other thing that changed about my relationship with Kushina was her renewed focus on my fuinjutsu skills. These days, she began to grill me on fuinjutsu concepts and drill me through various seals I have mastered. She also began to teach me some new complicated seals. Unlike before, she was patient in her explanations and gave me time to soak up her vast fuinjutsu knowledge. She even joked that I was an honorary Uzumaki, which touched me beyond my expectations.

Apart from fuinjutsu lessons from Kushina whenever we had time available, I was mostly training with Roku to improve her Taijutsu and concentrating on increasing my Ninjutsu arsenal. I met with Harami and Anko a few times over the month, which mostly ended up in us getting dango together.

The influx of missions had been non-stop. Our team rarely had a few days off in continuation. We had run into a few skirmishes along the way. While there was nothing major that occurred during these skirmishes, it was nevertheless an eye-opening experience for us. The way in which we laughably disposed of enemy genin, let us know how advanced our team was compared to average genin. Even Tsuki sensei was mildly surprised with this the first time. Still, it was a great boost of confidence for us all as a team – however dysfunctional we may be.

But, things didn't last the same way for a long time. Five months after our unexpected run into Iwa jinchuriki, the first change happened. Unlike the earlier courier missions, this time we were sent to the frontlines. Of all the frontlines it would have to be, they were sending us to the region where Kiri was most active.

We were informed three days earlier owing to the fact that we were being deployed for three months. This was the first deployment of our team into the Third Shinobi War. While we have been involved in countless missions and a few skirmishes until now, this was the first time we were dumped headfirst into the war.

The region between Kiri and Konoha has not seen much action compared to the border with Iwa. Still, it felt like we were sent to the frontlines far too soon. That led me to a very interesting conversation with Danzo of all people.

 **(*****)**

"How do you feel about being sent to the frontlines this soon?" Danzo asked sipping his tea.

"It doesn't matter how I feel," I merely shrugged in reply taking a sip myself, "a shinobi needs to be ready to lay down his life for the village whenever he is called upon."

"You don't seem happy," Danzo observed placing his tea down.

"Only a fool would be happy to be sent to the frontline. I still feel that it is too early for our team to be sent to the frontlines. We are good, but we aren't that good. Even experienced Jounin lose their lives easily on the frontlines," I said grimacing.

Danzo observed me for some time, occasionally sipping his tea.

"I agree," he said, at last, making me look up at him in surprise, "it is indeed too early for you to be deployed to the frontlines. However, the needs of the village must be put first."

I looked at him thoughtfully for a few moments before guessing, "the village has received intel that Kiri is beginning to move actively."

"Yes," he said succinctly with a faraway look, "Our experienced Jounin are stretched thin along Iwa and Kumo borders. I do not trust Suna much. They seem reluctant in their co-operation with us."

"That leaves the remaining Jounin and Chunin," I nodded in understanding.

"Ideally, it would have been a few more months before deploying your team to front lines. But, the situation calls for it," he said in a grave voice.

"I understand," I replied intaking the seriousness of the reveal.

"The village's eye has been on your team for a long time. While most see potential and power, I am mostly worried about your team dynamic," he said shooting me a sharp look.

"We have some issues, but nothing major," I sidestepped knowing that this wasn't a conversation I wanted to have this close into being deployed.

"I disagree,"

"I don't und…"

"I don't trust your sensei."

Silence prevailed between us after that particularly revealing statement. I sat there sipping my tea wondering whether Danzo had noticed my sensei's dislike for me. I had tried several times to bridge the gap. Things have been progressing until that mission involving Iwa jinchuriki. But, these days, things have been going downhill very fast. At this rate, our team might be disbanded very soon.

"My sensei and I do have some issues, but I am sure he has the best interests of the team," I supplied, at last, hoping he would buy it and move on.

"I doubt it," Danzo scoffed – an honest to goodness scoff that entailed more emotion than I had seen in him for the past few years, "Mokurimo Tsuki had requested to be Uchiha Fujita and Akimichi Roku's sensei to look after his genin teammates' children."

I sat there wondering where this conversation was leading towards.

"He was offered to be Akimichi Roku's sensei as the Uchihas wanted Fujita kun to be placed in a team with you. However, he offered to take you in as the third student after understanding that he wouldn't get both of them if he didn't do so. Hiruzen, the soft fool, decided to grant him his team since Tsuki has water natured chakra as well. His hope was for him to train you with your chakra nature."

My lips thinned involuntarily knowing that I was merely a piece of extra baggage as far as Tsuki sensei was concerned. It did explain his dislike and animosity towards me.

"We had thought that he would take his position seriously and treat his entire team equally. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like he does. After his recent complaint against you, I took upon myself to shadow your team and observe your practices. After the investigation, it became clear that his priorities lie with ensuring Fujita kun and Roku chan make it out of the war. As for you, he doesn't care one bit."

"I don't need his help to survive this," I sneered in reply to his statement.

"As it may be, I can't help but worry that he might use you as a sacrifice in his goal to save his genin teammates' kids. After all, no one can say what will happen in a war," Danzo said with a slightly murderous tone.

"You don't have to worry," I assured Danzo – the concern he had for me did indeed touch me even if I had my guard against him all the time, "I haven't shown anyone my full strength either."

Danzo looked at me hard for a few moments as if he wanted to find the truth of the statement. Whatever he saw in me might have reassured him enough that he nodded in the end.

"I am happy to know that," Danzo said at last. "Your job is to survive this deployment. I will do everything in my power to move you away. You are already a Chunin. All you need is a good performance for me to recommend you to somewhere else. Do that, and I will take care of Tsuki."

"No need," I said knowing full well what kind of taking care Danzo meant, "I am comfortable with my team. Even though we may have many issues and distrust, I know how they operate and I can work around them easily. A new team would only complicate things."

"You will get a new team," Danzo said waving away my statement.

"I said I am fine," I replied not compromising in the slightest.

"Is it because of that Akimichi?" Danzo narrowed his eyes.

"Does it matter," I said placing my empty teacup on the table and standing up, "I will survive this war. Neither Mist nor Tsuki have what it takes to put me down. We will discuss about my future options after the war is over."

"You seem overconfident," Danzo said standing up.

"No, I merely know my strength. And I have Roku to protect my back," I replied with a smile and turned around.

"We will see," Danzo said from behind me.

"Yes, we will see," I said without turning around and walking away.

"Do be careful," Danzo's voice came from behind as I was almost to the door. "Uchiha Fujita is the commander for the area you are deployed. Your platoon will be mostly Uchihas."

I paused on the doorstep digesting the news. I knew this was going to be a pain in the ass. Fujita was going to be unbearable. Regardless, I think it was time that I stopped holding back. If I wanted to survive this war, then I needed to up my game to a considerable level.

"I understand," I said in reply and left Danzo's house.

 **(*****)**

Five days after my conversation with Danzo, I arrived on the frontlines with a forty men platoon consisting mostly of Uchihas. Five teams consisting of solely Uchihas, two tracking teams, one chunnin cell consisting of six chunnins and our team were deployed.

The five Uchiha teams were all from Konoha Military Police. While they seemed competent, I couldn't help but notice that their skills were rusty from being cooped up inside the village for a long time. With the exception of the team leaders, all of them were Chunin. Fujita spent most of the time with his cousins leaving me and Roku to ourselves.

The most irritating part was the blatant disdain all the Uchihas were having for others. The chunnin cell consisting of mostly clanless shinobis distanced themselves from them as much as possible. We had three field medics among them. The rest specialized in non-combat areas making them look a bit week. The two tracking teams consisting of three Inuzakas, three Hyugas, one Aburame, and a non-clan shinobi kept to themselves. They were mostly scouting and bringing up the rear.

The only genin in the whole platoon was Roku and Fujita. With Fujita hanging out with his clan who treated him like one of their own and a future Jounin already, needless to say, Roku felt more isolated than ever. Not to mention me, the only Senju among a group of Uchihas.

Me and Roku kept to ourselves mostly, with Tsuki sensei dropping in from time to time to check upon Roku. I had no illusions as to the man's concern towards me after my meeting with Danzo. I had kept the contents of the meeting to myself as I didn't want Roku to worry over it. Even then, I still felt a pang of heartache to clearly know that my sensei had no concern for me at all. Guess, with my prior memories of Asuma, Kakashi, Guy and Kurenai, a part of me was hoping for a sensei who went to great lengths to groom his students into excellent shinobis.

None of those things bothered me much. It was my platoon leader who was my greatest concern. As fate would have it, Uchiha Ryoma was a typical Uchiha, who was more eager to showcase his prowess and an emotionally constipated individual, who thought everyone should kiss the ground the Uchihas walked upon. But, while I could have dealt with that, it was the second part of the identity of the man that gave me a huge headache.

Uchiha Ryoma was the father of one and only Uchiha Fujita – the ever-present pain in my ass. His attempts to separate me and Roku were so blatantly obvious that even Roku was getting irritated. If he had tried to provide some other form of companionship to Roku, it might have worked. But, the idiot was thinking only up to separate us. After that, nothing more. Tsuki sensei was his genin teammate and he fully approved of his efforts. As much as he wanted Roku to have a better rapport with Fujita, the man kept forgetting the issue was with Fujita all along.

Uchiha Ryoma enjoyed way too much in ordering me around by reminding me that he was the platoon leader. Most, if not all, menial tasks were given to me as he treated me as a freshly graduated genin from the academy. I could see the others present taking note of my treatment and grimacing as I did my jobs. Unfortunately for him, I didn't mind doing things like collecting firewood, cleaning up after everyone and such. Luckily for him, he didn't push me too much. I guess, he did understand the political ramifications of his actions and never crossed that line of no return.

Roku and Fujita were assigned some tasks whenever we camped too, which I suspect mostly was to separate me and Roku. But, Roku usually finished her job soon and came to help me much to the displeasure of Ryoma and Tsuki sensei. Fujita – the dumb brick, didn't entirely understand why his father was doing things. He would complete his job and immediately scamper off to pester his cousins who treated him with great respect - due to his father I suspect, while Roku came over to help me.

If anything, these actions only alienated Roku further from them and our friendship grew with each day. To say that I was relieved to reach the border station would be an understatement. While Fugaku was Uchiha, unlike Ryoma he understood things far better. He treated everyone present under his command equally and professionally. While he did give more high profile assignments to Uchihas, which I suspect was to increase their clan standing; he did maintain a semblance of fairness leaving no room to complain.

The first month passed with no major incidents of note. The only glaringly obvious thing was the frequency of run-in with Kiri Shinobis as the month progressed. Everyone knew that things were becoming more dangerous.

Our entire platoon was put on border patrol during the first month. We rotated with three other platoons every half day. Things were mostly dull on our end. It was the people who ventured past us who brought news about the increased activity of Kiri shinobi recently. In our free time, I pushed Roku to her limits during each spar. Roku began dread sparring with me. But, I gave her no quarters as I knew that the more I pushed her, the more likely she is to survive. Fujita mostly hung out with his cousins who all acted like eager bloodhounds that couldn't wait for the hunt to start.

Experienced Jounins advised them to be not so eager to enter the fray. But, all their advice was promptly discarded by them as they felt that they were superior to others and no one could match their clan's prowess. Meanwhile, me and Roku usually hung out with those who had been posted on the border for a long time after our spars. We listened to their tales and experiences in surviving the previous war. We soaked up their knowledge greedily.

"…. that's why you should never use Body Flicker if you aren't proficient in it. One mistake and you end up dead. Always look out for enemies, don't think you are too paranoid. Never ever think that. Paranoia is a healthy habit."

"True. Always go for the lethal parts, never hesitate," another experienced Jounin said seriously. "And if a retreat is sounded, book it like a bijuu is on your heels."

"And, keep a partner with you always to protect your back. Doesn't matter if you are against a Chunin or Genin," another supplied from the side.

"What about Jounins?" Roku asked eagerly.

"If you see a Jounin, avoid him at all costs. You don't have what it takes to take on a Jounin yet. There is a reason that they are a Jounin. If you have no other choice, try to delay him. Never engage head-on," the first Jounin said gravely.

Roku nodded as a somber mood set in. I sat there on the side soaking in their practical tips.

"Also, if you…."

An alarm blared throughout the border station calling all personal to report.

"Looks like the bastards are here," one of the Jounins swore.

"Get going, your sensei will be waiting for you. Remember what we said, forget about glory. Focus on surviving," another Jounin urged us as we moved along.

"Stay beside me," I murmured to Roku as we made our way to the outside of the bunker. "Don't rush off for any reason."

"I understand," Roku nodded solemnly as we moved to the assembling point.

We met Fujita and Tsuki sensei, who merely nodded gravely to Roku and me and motioned us to join our platoon. As we all finished assembling, Fugaku explained that three Kiri platoons have been spotted by the scouts and they are on their way. He preached about shinobi duty and how essential we are for a few moments, before barking out orders.

Our platoon was assigned as a backup platoon for one of the experienced platoon. Most likely we are meant to see minimal action today, but one never knew with war. We joined the experienced platoon and were soon deployed to meet the enemy far away from our base.

Things went smoothly for a while. We came across the Kiri platoon and engaged them in battle. I began to understand why the deployed personnel were mostly Uchihas. No sooner did the battle start, a mist enveloped the surroundings heavily coated in chakra. Our wind users tried to blow them away, but the mist was a mere opening move.

The Kiri platoon had taken the few seconds the mist was present and closed in on the distance. They targeted the wind users mostly trying to kill them off to employ the mist again. There were pockets of mist scattered across the battlefield. Explosions went off randomly and frequently. The entire battlefield was chaos incarnate. Luckily enough for us, the Sharingan users had a definitive advantage despite the mist and other parameters that hindered the sight.

Tsuki sensei led us into the fray when our platoon leader saw the Kiri reserve platoon beginning to act. Things were a mess after that to be honest. I only concentrated on defending myself and Roku. Me and Roku fought back to back mostly engaging in Taijutsu. Occasionally Roku would get carried away, I had to reign her in. Tsuki sensei hovered around us fending off Kiri Jounins.

Fujita was a major headache, he never fought in formation. He was like a madman let loose on the field. He shouted loudly and pumped out ninjutsu like it was nothing. Tsuki sensei had to restrain him several times from doing something incredibly stupid. Even then, Fujita was forced several times into a corner due to his exhaustion. His Taijutsu was not up to battlefield standards yet. Tsuki sensei had to save his ass far too many times, leaving both me and Roku to fend for ourselves in those moments.

Several times, I ran interference alleviating as much pressure from Roku as possible. Still, it irked me to spend more energy than I have to because Fujita was being an idiot and sensei was supporting him. As time dragged on more and more, Fujita went into danger more and more. He was entirely exhausted after pumping ninjutsu in the early stages. Tsuki sensei's concentration was mostly focused on keeping Fujita alive.

As a result, Roku and me sported several injuries. Small ones, but they could have been entirely avoided if not for Fujita, which did piss me off more. A few times a few other Jounins ran interference to help us out of some tight spots. I was immensely grateful for them. In the end, one of the Jounins from the experienced platoon took pity on us and began helping us out. The unimpressed stare he shot Tsuki sensei was worth all the small cuts, in my opinion.

I used my ninjutsu sparingly – only when it was absolutely needed. Roku was using her clan jutsu occasionally. I forbid her from transforming completely and told her to focus on using small transformations effectively during our spars. It seems like it had helped her a lot. Her endurance was close to mine and it was telling something. She helped me out of a few tight spots when the enemies realized that I was more of a threat than Roku.

Overall, the entire battle was a great experience. It taught both Roku and me how to conserve energy and fight on a battlefield. It gave us an idea about how large scale battles are usually fought. Most of the time, we merely defended without overextending ourselves. I decided that after a few more battles I might start actively attacking the enemies once I gained experience.

After an hour, the enemies retreated. I stopped Roku from pursuing them knowing full well a retreat would be called. Fujita, on the other hand, was gleefully sending fireballs at the retreating enemies who dodged them effortlessly. With every fireball that was sent, he looked more and more pale. With every dodge, he became more and more manic. In the end, Tsuki sensei put a stop to his childish actions. The look that the Jounin protecting us sent towards the duo was full of loathing.

While the dressing down Fujita received after the battle was hilarious, neither me nor Roku had any energy to take joy in that. The moment we reached the bunker we fell into an exhausted heap.

 **(*****)**

I ducked under the kunai of a Kiri ninja and retaliated with a leg sweep, he jumped up trying to knee me in the face. I moved back and brought my own kunai at his abdomen. He scampered back only to receive Roku's punch and skid a few meters backward.

I followed up after Roku, both of us taking a side each and trying to attack him from both sides before he got his bearings. He fended off Roku but fell prey to my kunai. A sick wet crunch, followed by a scream of pain, indicated that I had successfully impaled him with my kunai in his sternum. My follow up would have finished him off, but I had to hastily duck under a fucking sword heading to my neck. Roku brought me enough time as she engaged the next Kiri ninja. The one I had stabbed staggered off towards their rear. He would have gotten off if not for the fireball that roasted him alive.

His screams pierced my ears. I looked around to find Fujita sporting a sadistic smile that made my hairs stand up. But, I didn't have much luxury to observe him as I saw the one with a sword battering on Roku after hearing his comrade's scream. I hurried to provide Roku support and give her a breather, putting Fujita out of my mind.

About two weeks after the first battle, we ran into our next one. This was relatively smaller in scale, but even more dangerous. Small scale battles were happening frequently across the border now. We had had a few skirmishes here and there, but this was our second battle. After the last dressing down, Fujita had calmed down and started working with us as a team. However, his pyromaniac tendencies were hard to contain.

Roku and me began to see a different side to Fujita as soon as the battles began. He preferred to let us both engage in Taijutsu before swooping in for the kill. His favorite was to roast someone with a fireball. But, the even more nauseating thing was when he was forced to engage in close combat. He usually picked his spot after either me or Roku delivered a critical blow to the shinobi. What he followed up was very sick to watch even by shinobi standards.

Fujita had become more and more sadistic these days. He enjoyed causing others pain. Several times we had shouted at him or kill the ninja ourselves to end his new-found fascination with hearing others scream. It was really sick to watch. Even our comrades were beginning to feel uneasy around him. The exceptions were Tsuki sensei and a few other Uchihas.

While they did acknowledge his disturbing behavior and advised him to tone it down, no one came down hard on him. Tsuki sensei promised Roku that he would take Fujita to a Yamanaka after this deployment. However, until then, we were forced to deal with his sadistic nature.

Disregarding his sadistic nature and his penchant to swoop in for the kill after we delivered the critical blow, Fujita created no more problems. He toned down showing off and kept a low profile. He worked hard during training and improved himself. While he did become shunned by his cousins after his deplorable first performance, he started spending more and more time with Tsuki sensei on improving himself.

Roku kept in touch with him and Tsuki sensei frequently. It looked like their relationship was mending little by little. I took it as a good sign for the team. Tsuki sensei began advising and training Roku in his free time after done with Fujita. He never sought me out though. But, then again, our relationship was way past that. I kept to myself mostly.

I also began to notice some disturbing aspects of Fujita. He never felt content with the amount of attention he received. Initially, I chalked it up to him wanting to improve further and Tsuki sensei was the ideal one for it. But, I began to notice this behavior repeat whenever Tsuki sensei took time off to instruct Roku.

The next one was his strange fixation on powerful moves that either Tsuki sensei or his father taught him. His thirst and demand for them increased more and more each day. It was like watching Sasuke after Chunin exams. Needless to say, alarm bells began to ring in my head.

But the most disturbing thing of them all was his sudden behavioral changes. Normally, he acted like a stoic person like all Uchihas only revealing his disturbing habits to those who knew him well. Considering how his father and Tsuki sensei thought the world about him, only Roku and me noticed. However, once we met the enemies his entire demeanor changed. He became a blood-crazed demon who preferred hearing his enemies scream. He preferred mutilating his opponent than to kill them. He liked to watch them being roasted alive in the fire.

Something about his recent shift in demeanor unsettled me. When I consulted a few veterans, they reassured me that sometimes new genins went through personality changes after their first battle experience. It was supposedly a common thing. They would be very violent for a while. But, once they came to terms with participating in a battle after a session or two with a Yamanaka, then they mellowed out.

It really explained why neither Tsuki sensei nor Ryoma was worried too much. Being new to the battlefield, I had no sense of what is considered normal in it - whether it was here or in my previous life. So, I put such thoughts in the back of my mind. Still, it did bring me and Roku chills.

Putting that in the back of my mind is one thing, but trying to ignore such things on a battlefield took much more effort. Me and Roku worked together to kill the kenjutsu user who went crazy after his comrade's tragic death. I was almost beheaded a few times, but in the end, I punched a hole in his throat bringing him down to his knees.

Fujita was busy engaging a Mist chunnin. Roku went off to aid him as I intercepted another chunnin from trying to aid his comrade. After dispatching him, I lost track of my actions as I fought for a long time. Occasionally I would aid Roku and she would aid me sometimes. Fujita would sometimes swoop in without warning to take the kill. I normally moved away preferring to not hear the screams.

This battle was smaller, but it lasted for more than two hours. It only ended when less than a tenth of our original shinobi were left standing. Since we mostly took on Chunins, our team managed to come out alive without any casualties. On the mist side, very few managed to getaway.

 **(*****)**

"Roku! Duck!" I yelled frantically notching my arrow.

Roku ducked, but she was a tad bit late as the Kiri ninja's kunai grazed her shoulders. Her hiss of pain angered me as I let the arrow fly. As Roku rolled to minimize the impact of the fall, the man followed her to finish her off. My arrow bought Roku the much needed time to stabilize herself and catch the ninja's kunai with her own.

I hastily went to assist her only to find two chunnin blocking my way. I engaged them frantically as I undid the weight seals on my body for the first time in this war. From the corner of my eyes, I saw two chunnins gang up on Roku as well. Unlike me, she was struggling very hard to stay alive. She had already received a wound on her back that was slowing her down. Now combined with her shoulder injury, I didn't know how long she could last.

I looped my bow around one chunnin's neck and snapped it viciously and sidestepped the other one's lunge. In a blitz, I pummeled his body taking advantage of his overextended lunge. He fell down with blood leaking out of his mouth. I nonchalantly swiped my kunai across his throat and initiated a body flicker.

I barreled into one of the chunnin attacking Roku, pushing him away. Even so, the other one managed to stab her in the stomach. Her cry of pain enraged me as my eyes turned red and I lost all reason. I bypassed his stab and used my bow to shatter his jaw. He groaned and fell back as the other one engaged me. I broke his knee in two exchanges and brought forth my kunai to stab him right in his neck. He gurgled blood and spat on me. I pushed him away and turned towards the last one, whose jaw I had broken earlier.

He was hightailing it. But, I wasn't about to let him go. I threw my kunai up and retrieved an arrow in the same motion. Notched it, took aim and let it fly, before grabbing the kunai back. The arrow flew true as it punched through his head and he fell limp on the ground. Taking a glance at the surrounding and finding no one else, I checked Roku and put a patch on her stomach wound. I lifted Roku to my shoulders and moved towards the regroup point with a purpose.

Just one week was left before we were to be sent back home. And that was when the ambush had happened. Our platoon was patrolling a remote area far away from the bunker. The area had seen zero action but we were still doing our patrols over there just in case. The area was way out of immediate vicinity of Kiri sightings, and that was one of the reasons we were given this mission.

Our platoon wasn't exactly known for frontal combat. We mostly acted as backups for the experienced platoons. Being our first deployment, we weren't trusted with hotspots. Owing to the fact that the location of our patrolling area was way out of sight and it was only patrolled for precaution, no one expected Kiri to launch an attack from that direction.

The bastards had ambushed us during midday when the sun was high and everyone was relaxed. The ambush had been perfect. Two explosions - causing a landslide from a nearby hill; and before we knew it, we were neck-deep in a pit with half our Jounins injured. Not to mention two entire platoons descending on us within seconds of the landslide.

We had to fight our way out of the pit and then hightail it back to our regroup point if we wanted any semblance of sending a report back. With everyone fighting for their lives, we were all separated within moments of the attack causing entire communication breakdown. Me and Roku joined together to punch our way out. Luckily, the Kiri Jonins were concentrating on the Uchihas who were throwing jutsus around like idiotic morons.

However, it left us dealing with mostly chunnins. We fought out of an encirclement of six of them, only to run into six more of them. While I had received a superficial injury from the landslide, Roku's condition was a lot more worse. Injured in the back, stomach, and shoulders. She was essentially combat ineffective. The most worrying was the stomach wound.

I came across several dead bodies, both from Konoha and Kiri. Sparing them no glance, I crested another hill and found our regroup point. It was a narrow valley through which lay the only way to our bunker. I could still hear the sounds of fighting behind me, even though I was still a bit far away. I held no hope for the ones who were still engaged in combat.

As I neared the valley, I saw a group of four people in the valley. As I neared them, I couldn't help but curse my luck. Fujita was sitting across a medic working frantically on one of the Jounins. When I reached them, I saw Sharingan spinning in Fujita's eyes. Knowing full well how Sharingan activated, I gritted my teeth. As much as I thought of him as a pain in the ass, I didn't want him to lose someone this early in his life.

I checked out the other one, who was guarding the trio on the ground. He was another Chunnin, but wasn't combat type. I sighed knowing things were beginning to look worse and worse as each second passed.

"Report," gritting my teeth I barked at him.

He looked stunned for a second, before narrating how Uchiha Ryoma and Tsuki sensei had tried to lead the medics and other non-combat chunnins away. Unfortunately for them, a team of three jounins had blocked their way. Fujita's dad and Tsuki sensei held them off as the others led them away. As fate would decry, another team of Mist Jounin had joined the fray. Knowing they didn't have a chance, both Ryoma and Tsuki sensei had tried to retreat while fighting.

In the end, Tsuki sensei got critically injured and Ryoma had been killed right before their eyes. That led to the start of a massacre. Before they could finish though, luckily two Uchiha Jounin had fought their way out and came to aid them. Using that opportunity, Fujita had escaped with Tsuki sensei's injured body. The other chunnin and medic had escaped as well. They had merely regrouped here for a few minutes before we had found them.

"Is he stabilized?" I asked the medic.

"He is, but the injury is critical. We need to bring him to the bunker," the medic said solemnly.

"We will be lucky to make it back there," I grumbled lowering Roku.

Fujita's eyes widened as he saw the blood dripping down from her stomach over the patch.

"Bastard, what happened to Roku?" he shouted at me.

"I think the other injuries aren't that urgent, stabilize her stomach wound. She got stabbed in the stomach. I checked her earlier, while it is nothing critical, the blood loss will be fatal," I said to the medic not giving Fujita any attention.

"The patch wouldn't last long," she agreed as she began to work.

"I didn't have much time," I replied grumbling to myself. "What happened to the two tracking teams?"

"Probably dead long before the ambush. It was a pretty well-crafted ambush," the other chunnin replied with a scowl.

"It was," I nodded looking towards the direction of the ambush site.

"What do we do now?" the chunnin asked hesitantly.

"No use waiting here," I scowled not liking the idea one bit. "As soon as she has stabilized Roku, I want you and Fujita to report to the bunker as soon as possible."

"What about you?"

"Someone has to stay back and try to delay them," I said in a grim tone.

"Are you nuts?" the chunnin asked angrily.

"We don't have any other option, the information must be sent or else they will take the bunker unawares. I am the only combat oriented shinobi here," I said shrugging my shoulders as if marching to my death was something trivial.

"I will stay too," Fujita said angrily.

"No, you will leave with them," I said sternly.

"Who do you think you are to order me around Senju?" he sneered. "Do you think I am weak?"

"Shut up Fujita," I shouted at him in anger. "I don't have time for your childish insecurities or ever-present need to be acknowledged. I am ordering you to return to the bunker with the information and injured shinobi. Last I remembered, I outrank you."

If anything, Fujita looked thunderous. But, I didn't have time for that.

"Are you done?" I snapped at the medic.

"Ha… Hai," she said with a shaking voice.

"Make sure both of them are stable. But, don't compromise speed. The sooner the bunker is notified of the attack, the better. I will try to delay them as long as possible," I said to the chunnin. "I am leaving you in charge. If he doesn't follow your orders, report him to the higher-ups."

"I don't think it will be necessary," he said placating Fujita who was lifting Tsuki sensei gingerly.

"You don't know about him," I grumbled. "Now, get going."

 **(*****)**

 _"What are you working on?" Kushina asked bending over my fuinjutsu workbook._

 _"Traps," I said not taking my eyes of the seal I was working on._

 _"Your own creation?" Kushina asked as her interest was piqued._

 _"No, I am merely adapting some of the ideas that I read about in barrier seals," I said shrugging my shoulders._

 _"I see," her eyes roved over my seals. "This is a brilliant Hato kun. You have taken sealing barriers, deconstructed them and repurposed them into traps."_

 _"Yeah," I said as I sheepishly rubbed my neck, "I thought that there are already sealing barriers in existence, what if we used them to seal the targets in a particular location. Then, use some storage seals to release traps that are lethal in nature. It just grew from there."_

 _"I see," Kushina hummed. "But, there is a problem with this kind of a seal. You can't implement a remote trigger into them. How are you going to circumvent that? It doesn't look like it is going to differentiate an ally from enemy."_

 _"I trying to work in a proximity trigger," I replied scrunching my eyebrows. "As for that no differentiation between ally and enemies, I don't think that when I use I will have to worry about any allies. I will only use it as a last-ditch effort."_

 _"A proximity trigger? Huh, that might work. If you aren't worried about catching your allies into the trap then this might actually work."_

 _"I too think so," I replied beaming at her._

 _"So, what kind of traps have you been trying to implement?"_

 _"The nasty kind," I replied with a smile._

 **(*****)**

I watched the group of two injured and three fit shinobi leave. Fujita shot me an angry glare just before moving out of my eyesight. I merely rolled my eyes at his childish actions. There were three reasons I insisted that Fujita leaves with them.

One, Fujita would undoubtedly ruin my plan. Apart from being a pain in my ass, he also has zero subtlety. This would require a delicate touch. And he wasn't suited for these kinds of things.

Two, this was my trump card. I wasn't going to showcase it to anyone that easily. The more things a shinobi held in reserve as trump cards, the more likely he is to live a long life.

Three, if he remained, he will surely die. The only one who could escape from this valley alive would be me. I didn't want his death on my conscience.

Once sure they were long gone, I turned to survey the valley. It was small, narrow and perfect for me to set up my traps. I smiled in anticipation of my sealing masterpiece at work. There were only one entrance and only one exit. If the Kiri platoon wanted to get to our bunker quickly, the only path was through this valley. If they take a detour, then it would take a long time. By then, the news would reach the bunker and they will be alert.

All I had to do was to make sure none of Kiri shinobi passed through this valley. And such a situation was perfect to test out my masterpiece. I reached the approximate center of the valley and opened my backpack. I retrieved the five scrolls from there and placed it reverently on the ground. With a small smile, I made four water clones. We eyed each other and a brilliant smile plastered on our face.

The four clones went in four cardinal directions. I stood in the center. They identified the four endpoints and placed the scrolls there. I placed the control scroll below my feet. If I had managed to work in the proximity trigger, this would have been easy. However, I had merely bypassed that for temporary usage with Kushina's help.

As I sent my chakra through the control scroll, it came alive sucking massive amounts of chakra from me. I was lucky that I had large chakra reserves. Grimacing a little, I saw the sealing lines stretch from the center to the four cardinal directions and connect with the child scrolls placed there. The four water clones dispersed sending chakra into the scrolls, thus completing the field of sealing. A small circle formed around me – large enough to house three people seated, indicating a safe zone that Kushina had helped me work into. The sealing lines dimmed and faded away from the eyes. Only a Sharingan or Byakugan would be able to see through it.

It was complete. All I had to do now was to wait.

And I didn't have to wait for long. The Kiri platoons crested the nearby hill in high spirits and came to a stop. I stood there in the center of the valley looking at them with a cocky smile. I took a taijutsu pose and beckoned them in a mocking manner.

True to their stereotypical violent nature, a group of chunnin rushed towards me from the hill angrily. I stood there in the circle awaiting them. The jounins were cautious though. They felt that something was wrong and looked around for any traps. The chunnins rushed into the valley with a shout that would have terrified me if I wasn't already prepared. I could see the jounins watching everything that was happening like a hawk.

But, nothing happened to any of the chunnins.

I smiled mockingly at them as the first of the lot ran towards me. I notched an arrow and let it fly, he escaped as he rushed towards me. I merely notched another and let it fly. This one missed too. Everyone outside the valley was looking at in confusion. Next, I notched two arrows let one fly, the second a moment later calculating the man's dodging path. The second one impaled him in the eye and he fell over.

The moment was so surreal that everyone stopped. I could still see that they were confused as to whether I was planning to stop them all with a bow. I smiled at them in sympathy and started firing arrows rapidly. A few made kill shots, but most were evaded. Around four of the chunnins who rushed to meet me reached the place where I was standing.

What followed was a brutal Taijutsu exhibition as I annihilated them in seconds. No one expected someone to fight with a bow and a kunai and be that deadly. All the while, I never moved out of the circle.

When done, I kicked their dead bodies out of the circle in a show of dominance. I resumed my stance and once again beckoned the ones outside of the valley with a mocking smile. This time I really hit the nerve.

Once they confirmed that there were no traps and I was only using my bow and taijutsu to challenge them, almost most of the Kiri platoon lost their mind, with the exception of a few veteran jounins who were still hesitating. I let out a sigh knowing it was too much to hope. But, I was still happy to be net so many fishes.

I kept up the charade until I was beginning to get overwhelmed. By now, most of them were already inside the valley. Some bypassed me and were heading towards the exit. Knowing that it was time, I sent a spike of chakra into the ground and activated the seal.

"Watch out," one of the sensors (I think) called to his comrades.

But, it was too late. The seal activated and the entire valley was sealed. Traps came alive swallowing Kiri shinobi in multiples. The most brutal and devastating were those near the circle. Unfortunately, that was where more Kiri Jounins were present. It was a bloodbath. Limbs flews, heads rolled, shrieks were heard and many vomited blood. I watched with morbid fascination as I masterpiece came alive claiming countless lives.

There were one chunnin and a Jounin inside the circle. But, they were frozen in shock as to what was happening outside. I utilized the opportunity to close in on the chunnin and dispose of him effortlessly. The Jounin growled and at last focused on me.

"You are dead brat," he spat viciously. "You have nowhere to run."

He was right. I was locked inside a small circle with a Jounin. But, I still had a few cards to play.

Dredging up my reserves, I pressed my fingers on the blood flowing down my body from the wound obtained after a vicious kenjutsu user parked his blade on my upper arm. I smiled at the Jounin who was angrily staring at me.

"I am going to rip your limbs off and take you back to Kiri," he growled. "I am going to torture you for years to come."

"Ah, I think I will pass on that," I said slamming my hand down on the ground between us. " _ **Kuchiosone Jutsu.**_ "

(*****)

I bit into a chakra pill and sat down to recover my drained chakra. Luckily, I wasn't scrapping my bottom yet. So, the chakra began to recover slowly. The seal would last for ten minutes. After that, I have to find some other way to delay the Kiri platoons.

Luckily most of them had already been eliminated. Only a few veteran jounins remained outside of the valley with the exception of the support corps. Considering it was Kiri, there were only a few left. I counted their number and let out a sigh.

There were more than ten of them still standing. I gritted my teeth knowing that the odds were stacked against me. No matter how good I was, I wouldn't be able to take on five jounins along with half a dozen chunnins. Even if they are support staff, considering the violent nature of Kiri they will be better than anything Konoha might offer when it came to battle.

One of the damning things about my seal was that while it protected me for fifteen minutes, it also locked me inside for the same duration. I was basically a sitting duck in such a situation. But, there wasn't anything else I could do about it, can I?

I began planning for the upcoming conflict. Several scenarios rushed through my mind as I analyzed the pros and cons of each of my actions. I was sure that they knew that the seal wouldn't last long. And they were sure as hell angry with me now. Who wouldn't be? After all, I have taken out more than nine-tenths of their platoons in one go.

They didn't have enough shinobi to mount an attack on our bunker now. That means, their mission is a failure. And the one responsible for it was me. They wouldn't let me walk off into the sunset now. All their failure could be redeemed if they capture me.

So, I could either book it and hope to escape or stay here and fight till the end.

Either option had its own risks. While booking it seemed pretty safe, the problem is whether I could outrun five jounins. I didn't care about the chunnins. I know that without the weights, I had a speed comparable to jounins. But, if any of them was speed-oriented, then I am done for.

Same way, if I decide to fight them, then there is only one ending to it. Certain death or capture. It wouldn't do good to go head to head with five jounins and half a dozen of chunnins. The second option was looking more and more idiotic and dangerous.

So, that leaves only one route. But, the question was how to accomplish it so that it gave me a considerable head start. My mind whirled with plans as I analyzed and discarded multiple ones. Soon, a solid plan began to emerge in my mind. Even though I wasn't sure it would work, it gave me the biggest chance of survival.

As I sat there analyzing my situation, I could feel that the strength of the seal was weakening. If the reactions on their side were anything to go by, I knew they had a sensor who sensed it too. Gritting my teeth, I made a decision.

My hands blurred as I executed the very first jutsu Hiruzen had taught me. Mist enveloped the entire circle, hiding me from view. Shouts of surprise and derision were heard from the other side. They didn't expect someone to use this particular jutsu against them. Giving them no opportunity to think about what I was doing, I did three things in quick succession.

One, I pumped as much chakra as I could into the mist making it impossible to find me.

Two, I quickly made a water clone, handed him my bow and arrows and suppressed my chakra to the limit.

Three, I dropped the seal prematurely taking them by surprise. As the mist rushed into the valley blanketing it, I booked it when they were still reeling from surprise, leaving the clone to delay them as much as possible.

 **(*****)**

 **OMAKE**

Uchiha Fugaku was furious. The day has been one of the worst ones he had experienced ever since he had taken command. Earlier in the day, reports of two small scale battles fought had arrived and the death toll was alarming. It looked like Kiri was fully committing to the war.

While Konoha might have an edge in terms of cooperation and battle tactics, Kiri had those bloody Kekkai Genkai users. Most of the deaths were their handiwork. And just when he had thought his day couldn't get any worse, he had received word that one of the remote patrols had come across two Kiri platoons. The result had been nothing pleasant.

Most of the platoon was dead or MIA. According to the report received. Two chunnins who were mere support staff and one genin were the only ones to make it out alive. A genin and a Jounin were in a critical state and need immediate medical attention.

To top things off, the only Senju in Konoha had stayed back to delay those two platoons. What a joke? He knew the brat was good, brilliant even. But, holding off two platoons was no laughing matter. That meant that they had to prepare for an attack very soon.

Not to mention the political ramifications of that brat's death. The council will not let this go that easily. They will pin the fault on him and try to discredit the Uchihas. Danzo would be ecstatic. He had been waiting to knock their clan down for so long and this brat's death would be the perfect opportunity. That is all for later. First, he will have to deal with that banshee known as Kushina. She will be out for his head if her precious otouto died under his command.

He felt like burning down every single one of his subordinates just assuage his anger. But, he knew that it wouldn't help him. So, he decided that it would be better to meet the two platoons away from his bunker rather than letting them in so close.

Leading three platoons himself, he had set out immediately to confront the enemies. At least, it would feel good to let loose his anger on those Kiri bastards who had caused so many problems.

Halfway towards his destination, he heard battle sounds. He leaped into the scene Sharingan blazing in anger and was promptly surprised. The brat was still alive. He was near to death, but he was still alive and battling – was he fighting two Kiri Jounin by himself!?

His eyes took in the scene and it soon became clear that the boy was focusing more on escaping than fighting. He had never seen such mastery of substitution jutsu below experienced Jounin. The boy was struggling a lot. Too many injuries, lots of blood loss, but despite all that he could see the boy's sheer determination to live another day.

He had to admit that Senjus were worthy foes of Uchihas. It was no wonder his ancestors had considered Senjus as the only one able to stand toe to toe with them.

"Shit, they are here," one of the Kiri Jounins shouted alerting the other to their presence.

"What do we do?" the other panicked.

"Let's leave," the first one said anxiously.

"I am not coming without killing this fucker. He ruined the entire operation. More than nine-tenths of us are dead because of him," the second one had a crazed glint to his eyes as he madly charged at the boy.

The boy was barely standing.

His hands flashed through and he let loose a fireball making the Kiri Jounin fall back. The first one fled immediately. But surprisingly, the second one was still going for the boy.

He felt his anger rising. Was he someone to ignore? He was the clan head of the Uchihas. Was it important to kill that boy even when he was present on the scene? This was an insult to his ancestry and himself personally.

So, he rightfully let loose his entire fury on the hapless vermin. Needless to say, he didn't last long. Satisfied, he turned back to find the boy being tended to by the medics. Only after seeing the boy alive did his heart loosened.

That was one nightmare averted.

Now, he had two platoons of Kiri ninja to kill. He motioned his shinobi to follow as he picked up the pace. Strangely enough, he wasn't able to find even a single Kiri ninja. Did they circle around and attacked the bunker while he was away? But, it wasn't possible. There wasn't time for them to attack with such a ploy. Everything had happened within an hour.

Still uneasy, he crested the last hill where the valley was supposed to be present. The moment the valley came in sight, his breath hitched. What greeted him was a gruesome battle sight. Body parts of Kiri ninja were present everywhere. The entire valley was dyed in blood.

 _More than nine-tenths of us are dead because of him._

The Kiri ninja's words echoed in his mind. He could feel a few of his chunnins retching to the side. Most of them were dazed at the sight. It looked like the boy took care of two platoons all by himself. His hands clenched. A feverish desire to fight the boy ignited in his heart. It took everything he had to control his impulse.

 _He would be a worthy opponent._

His mind whispered beguiling words. He gritted his teeth and turned away from the valley.

"Be careful, check the battle site. I will need a report on this immediately," he ordered his trusted aides and resolutely walked away from the valley trying to contain that maddening thought.


	26. Chapter 26 – Battle in the Mist

**A/N: Hi folks, I hope you are all safe and sound. Here is the next chapter. This one will have some light-hearted moments along with some heavy stuff. But, overall you can see how things change for Hatorama after his last deployment.**

 **We are nearing the end of the Third Shinobi War. There is just a year of war left in my timeline and a lot of things will happen in this and the next few chapters. There will be a lot of hints and foreshadowing as to where the fic is moving in the future. If you figure it out, I ask you not to spoil it for everyone. Just sit back and relax.**

 **Also, I am absolutely floored by the response to the last chapter. Considering that it's only been a day, I have received a bunch of PMs and quite a few positive comments for that.**

 **Here are a few things I wanted to clarify.**

 **1) Hatorama will not get an S rank bounty. The reasoning behind this is that he took out mostly chunnins and few jounins. And also, he didn't take them out directly like Minato. He used a trap. That is vastly different from actual combat.**

 **2) One of the comments mentioned about my penchant for using wrong plural forms. I will take note and correct them from the next chapter. Thank you for bringing it to my notice.**

 **3) Most of you are fed up with MC's defense for Tsuki. Things will change from this chapter onwards.**

 **Also, once more, follow the safety precautions. While it might be cumbersome, it is for our safety. Stay safe folks.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26 – Battle in the Mist – Demon vs Devil**

* * *

My return to the village was both joyous and triumphant in a sense. I could feel the surrounding shinobi eye me with more respect and if I could strain a little I was able to catch glimpses of conversation that revolved around my deeds.

I was no longer the last of an illustrious clan who had lot to prove. Others were beginning to look at me for who I really was instead of just focusing on my surname. It was a liberating feeling.

But, I wasn't totally joyous either. With Roku is in a critical condition, it kind of made me more anxious than anything. Tsuki sensei too was in critical condition. According to the field medic, they had both lost a lot of blood and were in need of immediate treatment.

Even, I had lost a lot of blood during my escape. Luckily, none of my wounds were lethal hence they were able to patch me up quickly. Fugaku allowed what remained of our platoon to return a few days early, not that he had much choice with the only remaining active members were one non-combat chunnin, a very angry genin and a field medic.

So, a week later found us entering Konoha. I admit, I let out a relieved sigh when I stepped into the gates. For one, the return trip was the first one where I was put in a leadership role. We were also transporting two critically injured shinobi and had minimal firepower if we were to run into a skirmish.

While I was healed, I wasn't hundred percent either. The chunnin was relatively fit, but his specialty was information gathering. Roku and Tsuki sensei were out cold and in treatment. And you couldn't expect much from a field medic in case of a fight. Sure, while she could handle her own, she couldn't turn the tables like a combat-oriented shinobi did.

And Fujita – well, the only thing I could say about him was that he was angry, sullen and irritable ball of emotions who was picking fights on each and every opportunity. Me being the leader didn't sit well with him either. But, we all had the same goal of reaching the village as soon as possible and it was the only thing that held us together.

No one complained when I pushed each day to cover as much distance as possible. The medic wanted her patients admitted into hospital as soon as possible. The chunnin wanted to get rid of a moody Fujita as soon as possible. Fujita wanted to get out of my command as soon as possible. And I wanted to be done with this whole thing as soon as possible. Hence, we all silently agreed to return to the village in a hasty manner.

The moment we entered the gates, Fujita took off with the medic to the hospital along with the two patients, leaving me and the chunnin to report to the Hokage. I had all the necessary papers in my possession. Since it was the last deployment our platoon went on, the only report I had to make was the final battle report. Considering how chaotic it was, I did the best I had to. Luckily, Fugaku had his own report on the same with probably more information that was sent through me. So, it didn't matter much.

We walked into Hokage's room to be greeted by his entire assembly of councilors, Danzo, Orochimaru, Shikaku and the Hokage himself. I could feel the nervousness oozing out of the chunnin beside me. Since, I was both the leader and have more experience with dealing the higher-ups I took the lead. Luckily, the chunnin didn't seem to hold any grudge and was more relieved with me taking the lead than anything else.

I reported the events that led up to me taking command of the platoon and went over the battle as much as I remembered it in short, succinct sentences. Once done, I gave the documents to Shikaku who went through them with a critical eye.

"So, tell me, can this seal of yours be mass-produced?" one of the councilors asked eagerly.

"No, it can't be." I shook my head trying not to drown in the memory of blood and limbs flying.

He looked at me as if he didn't believe me at all.

"Are you sure?" the other councilor asked in a skeptical tone.

"As the creator of the seal, I am absolutely sure," I said in an annoyed tone.

"Don't take that tone with me boy," the councilor snapped, "we will see if what you are telling is true."

"Koharu, enough," Danzo snapped causing the tension to rise to a new level.

What followed was a silent contention between Danzo, Hokage, and his councilors.

"Maybe, Hato kun could explain why it can't be mass-produced," Orochimaru's smooth voice interjected making them to look away.

"You don't ask a shinobi for his secrets, Orochimaru," Danzo said a little testily.

"Yeah, let him explain," one of the councilors said at the same time.

What followed was another round of staring contest.

I let out a huge sigh getting all their attention, "it's a personalized seal," I said hoping that it would be enough for them to get off my back.

"Ah," Danzo said in realization as Orochimaru and the Hokage nodded in understanding.

However, the two councilors were still looking clueless.

"So?" one of them asked.

"Koharu, a personalized seal can only work for the creator. If another person has enough fuinjutsu knowledge they can take it as a base and modify it to create their own personalized seal. However, it can't be standardized," Danzo explained patiently.

"Is that so?" the other councilor looked a bit skeptical still.

"Consider this," I interjected smoothly trying to reduce the tension in the room, "most of our sealing knowledge comes from Uzushio."

If their looks were any indication, neither Danzo nor the two councilors liked that little fact.

"However, we have only scratched the surface of what they have done with the seals. It is because most of them are personalized. While standardized seals like storage seals and explosion tags can be used by anyone, personalized seals can only be used by the creator. The best example would be my grandfather's Flying Thunder God seal. One has to understand its concepts and have deep fuinjutsu knowledge to create a personalized version of the same."

"That's true," Orochimaru continued. "While these kinds of seals are powerful, there is also a certain limitation towards them when it comes to practical use. We can't arm many people with them. That is why one needs to study fuinjutsu to work with any kind of powerful seals. Otherwise, we would have thousands of people using seals as weapons. It is also one of the reasons fuinjutsu masters are feared. Because, a single fuinjutsu master can kills countless people with the proper application of a single seal."

"And mine isn't even perfect, I still have to do some tweaks," I grumbled.

"You mean to say that what you used was an imperfect seal?" one of the councilors asked in visible shock.

"Yeah, the ideal seal could be triggered remotely. But, I still haven't gotten to that stage. Even with Kushina san's help I could only include a workaround to create a small safety net to trigger it manually and not get eviscerated," I scrunched my eyebrows in distaste.

While Orochimaru was looking amused at my reaction, Hiruzen, Shikaku and Danzo were leveling me with a deadpan expression. The two councilors were looking at me like I was some kind of monster. The chunnin near me was looking at me as if he was seeing me for the first time.

"Anyways," Hiruzen spoke bringing the attention to him, "Hatorama, until you perfect the said seal, I forbid you from using it any longer. Only in the case of truly exceptional circumstances are you allowed to use it from here on."

As much as I wanted to argue against him, I couldn't find fault in his logic. Hell, even I wanted nothing to do with that seal after seeing how brutal it was. If there was a single mistake in the safety circle, I would be chopped meat by now. And it isn't as if I was planning to use it regularly in the first place.

"Now, if there isn't any other question," he asked looking around at others in the room, luckily no one spoke in reply. "Then, you can get going."

 **(*****)**

"What is the meaning of this?" Kushina slammed an open Bingo book in front of me.

I looked up at her not knowing what she was angry about. I could see her hair dancing behind her as chakra leaked through into them. It was one of the very visible signs that Kushina was enraged. Her glowering eyes met mine and I had to flinch back from the intensity of her glare.

I lowered my eyes at the Bingo book that she had demanded an explanation from. A very life-like image of myself stared back at me. Curious I let my eyes roam across the page taking in the information present.

 **Name: Senju Hatorma (The Red Eyed Devil of Konoha)**

 **Hidden Village: Konohagakure**

 **Rank: B (possible A)**

 **Taijutsu: 3.4/5**

 **Ninjutsu: Unknown**

 **Genjutsu: Unknown**

 **Sex: Male**

 **Age: 10 (Approx)**

 **Birthdate: Unknown**

 **Chakra Affinity: Unknown**

 **Eyes: Red**

 **Hair: Silver**

 **Crimes: Destroyed two platoons using a seal based trap.**

 **Wanted by: Kirigakure**

 **Identifying Features: Three red stripes across his face (possible clan markings. Wears a happuri. Carries a Warbow.**

 **Notes: Looks very similar to Senju Tobirama – Nidaime Hokage. A possible relation. Fuinjutsu expert and a trap master.**

 **KILL ON SIGHT.**

I hummed taking in the information listed there. For what it was worth, they did have a pretty good grasp on my profile. My eyes scanned the Kill On Sight listed below by picture. I felt that they were valid enough to do that after I had decimated two platoons. I was indeed surprised that they have ranked me with a B (possibly A) rank. But, I guess they were being cautious since this was my first appearance on an international scale. Maybe they would lower it after a few run-ins.

However, I still found that they could have gone a little bit more creative with my moniker though. What's with Kiri and calling people demons and devils? I lightly scrunched my eyebrows in distaste of the name.

"Explain, now!" Kushina demanded as she glared at me from above.

It was truly a terrifying sight. With her hair dancing around, from my position she did really look like a demon.

"It's a bingo book entry Kushina nee," I said defensively not knowing what to say.

"Do you think I am an idiot, Hato Kun? I am asking why they have kill on sight order on my otuotu?"

"I might have used that trap seal you helped me to perfect," I hedged knowing this was not going to go well.

"Perfect? You call that lame excuse for a seal perfect!" Kushina raged at me causing me to back up. "What have I said about using imperfect seals Hatorama? You are just like Minato, reckless and have no sense of danger."

"Ah, Kushina nee, I think I was justified in …"

"I heard from Stoneface you were close to death Hatorama," Kushina cut in angrily. "You think you are justified in using an imperfect trap seal that you haven't tested? Considering the lethality of the seal, one would think you would have the brains to not use it. I think helping you to make small adjustment to keep you safe had gone to your head and you now think you are invincible."

"No, no, no. Nothing like that," I hastened to reply. "Wait, who's Stoneface?"

"That dumbass Fugaku," Kushina scrunched up her nose in distaste.

"Fugaku, as in Uchiha Fugaku?" I asked to confirm and she nodded irritably. "Ah, that does seem perfect. His face does look like stone with no emotion."

"Tell me about it," Kushina huffed sitting down beside me. "I don't know what Mikoto sees in that idiot. He doesn't deserve sweet Mikoto at all."

I stared blankly at her.

"Not to mention, now even Itachi kun is beginning to look like his father. He is not even two years old. And he used to be so cute."

Itachi as in Uchiha Itachi – the one who killed off an entire clan. My mind blanked for a few seconds as Kushina began to gush about how cute Itachi was. She might have seen my confusion on my face, for she stopped abruptly.

"Ah, you wouldn't know about them, would you?" she said sheepishly.

I stared at her dumbly and shook my head to clear away any other thoughts that was running through my mind.

"I would have introduced you, but considering that you are a Senju, I decided not to," she said hesitantly. "Do you want to come with me to visit Itachi kun?"

And she was back to her usual bubbly persona in a second.

I shook my head to indicate that I didn't have any desire to do so. My experiences with Uchihas haven't been pleasant so far. It would be better if I stayed away from them.

"Anyways," I said nodding towards the Bingo book, "at least now we have some common point in our names."

"Huh, what?"

"Well, you are the Red Hot Habanero and I am the Red Eyed Devil," I spoke with an amused smile.

"Yuck, I don't like your moniker at all," Kushina screwed up her face in disgust.

"Same here," I said nodding along. "Anyway, I always wanted to ask if the hot in that meant anything special?" I wagged my eyebrows suggestively.

"You!"

Kushina blushed, before bouncing back to her usual response – shouting. And I had to scamper away before being pummeled into the ground with what she called as an affectionate bonk on my head.

 **(*****)**

After my first deployment, I received a downtime of three weeks to rest and recuperate. I visited Roku occasionally in the Hospital. Her wounds on back were more critical than I had first thought. Luckily, she had medical attention within a few hours. It would take two more months before she was ready to bounce back into the field.

As for Tsuki sensei, he has been in medical coma ever since he was brought back to the bunker. Fujita occasionally visited him, but I didn't bother. It is not as if the man was going to miss me. After a week of treatment, Roku was released from the hospital. I went up to pick her up, only to find Fujita already sitting there waiting.

I merely took a seat opposite to him and ignored him. He did the same. It was kind of comical to see both of us waiting for the same person, but trying our best to ignore each other. The hospital staff released Roku after doing one last check-up.

Fujita scampered to help Roku. I merely watched his enthusiastic fussing with a bored look. In the end, Roku managed to calm him down and the duo walked out of the hospital with me following them a few steps behind.

Roku eyed both of us a few times, but didn't say anything. In the end, she was the one to break the heavy silence.

"How's sensei?" she asked Fujita.

"He's in a medical coma. He is expected to wake up anytime this week," he replied back in a subdued tone. "At least you care about him," he then murmured.

"You didn't visit," Roku turned her accusing eyes towards me.

I merely shrugged in reply to that.

"What's the deal between Tsuki sensei and you? I thought you guys were getting along and all of a sudden you both are ignoring each other," Roku asked sullenly.

"Don't know what his problem is," I said not meeting her eyes.

"It's you that is the problem," Fujita said hotly.

"Oh is that so?" I asked amusement dancing across my eyes.

As usual, he didn't take it well, "Teme, you are the problem in the team. You think you are so high and mighty. You don't even treat sensei with respect."

"Respect is earned," I scoffed not bothering to reply to his accusations.

"You!" Fujita fumed, his eyes blazed red as Sharingan activated.

"Stop it, both of you. I am tired of this. Why do you have to fight always?" Roku cut in angrily.

I looked at Fujita who was glowering me with active Sharingan. An unnatural itch was forming inside me to test myself against it, but Roku wouldn't like us fighting. So, I held it in.

"Fine," I said reluctantly. "Tell him to stop taking shots at me and I will stop."

"Fujita kun, please," Roku pleaded making Fujita to turn away in anger.

The rest of the walk to Roku's house was spent in silence. It was the first time I came to Roku's house. Situated in the Akimichi compound, it was relatively boisterous compared to other clan compounds. I took in the sight enjoying the change in the atmosphere.

"Guess this your first time here, huh? Figures, why would the high and mighty Senju deign himself to sink low to visit his teammate's house," Fujita jibed noticing my actions.

My lips thinned and I was already about to retort when Roku cut in.

"Fujita, what did I say?"

"Fine," he huffed and turned away.

"I'm sorry, it never occurred to invite you over." Roku apologized.

"Don't worry," I waved her off.

"But I should have. Obaa san is going to be so disappointed in me," she mumbled to herself.

In an uncharacteristic show of affection, I fussed her hair causing her to look up.

"Don't worry about it. I am glad you are alive," I said to her as we reached her home.

"And me too," a man with typical Akimichi build spoke from inside causing Roku to rush into his embrace.

"Fujita kun, I am sorry for your loss," the Akimichi continued making me wince.

Of course I forgot all about Fujita's father dying. He must be hurting inside trying to come to terms with the gaping hole in his life.

"Its fine, Uncle" Fujita sniffed.

I turned away as the Akimichi enveloped Fujita in a hug too. I felt like an intruder watching a family drama. I passed the next few moments trying and failing to act nonchalant. I surveyed the room and found a few things of note like the old sword hanging on the wall, a huge Akimichi sigil adorning another wall and so on.

"Senju sama," the Akimichi began making me turn towards him. "Thank you for saving my daughter's life."

It was awfully formal and his usage of sama made it clear that he wanted to keep the relationship that way. Something within me didn't sit well with it. It was screaming at me to get the hell out of here and let the family and friends have their peace.

"No need, she is my teammate after all. We Konoha shinobi must take care of comrades whenever possible. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave," I was immensely glad that I didn't fumble or stutter while saying that.

My response had been formal enough to let the man know that I understood his intentions. Not wanting to intrude any further, I waved at Roku before leaving.

"But, papa…."

"Shhh, he must be busy Roku. He has numerous duties to fulfill," I heard Roku's father say from behind as I walked away.

Somehow, between meeting Roku's father and taking my leave, my enthusiasm in her leaving hospital was crushed to cinders. I wore a wan smile as I walked away from the Akimichi compound.

 **(*****)**

"I think, Roku's father blames me for endangering her Sakumo san," I voiced out those guilty thoughts that has been festering in my mind ever since my run in with Roku's father.

Strangely enough, I felt better. It wasn't anything good, but I felt that the guilty feelings became bearable once I said it aloud. I was currently in front of Hatake Sakumo's grave. I didn't know why I came here, but my legs took me to the one place I found solace in without consulting my brain.

"And I get it," I said letting out a self-deprecating laugh. "That's the worst part, you know. I understand why he is unhappy with me. If not for me being in a team with her, Roku wouldn't have been sent to the frontlines this soon."

"You know, when they assigned me a team, a part of me was hoping that I would have two loyal teammates who I would eventually become friends with. And a sensei who would guide me along in my shinobi career and help me find my feet. But, none of that happened. The only friend I managed to acquire almost got killed because of me. My sensei hates me. I think that small part of me that was hoping for friends and a mentor was merely a childish notion."

"After all, I am Senju. And it comes with a lot of privileges. But in the eyes of the village, I am merely a weapon with great potential. That's it. They don't think that a weapon like me needs friends or family. As a Senju, I was born to fight. Fight in this war, the next one, or even another one, till my breath stops. It doesn't feel good Sakumo san."

I stayed staring at his grave for another ten more minutes after pouring my grievances out to a dead man. In the end, I left the graveyard feeling more morose than when I had come in.

 **(*****)**

"So, what brought this on?" Hiruzen eyed me critically as I played with my food.

We were having dinner and strangely enough Hiruzen was there was dinner once. Asuma was eyeing both of us contemplating something. Biwako looked as if she ate a melon.

"Nothing, my team is effectively combat ineffective. My sensei is in a coma. My teammate will take another two months to recover. My other teammate is only holding me back. So, I thought it would be better to be deployed soon with other chunnins. After all, I am a chunnin now."

"You have one more week of downtime."

"But, then when I come back to doing active duty, I will be stuck doing C ranks," I pointed out chewing my food thoughtfully.

Hiruzen seemed to buy my excuse. He nodded and gave me a grave stare before returning to his food.

"I think it would be better if he did more C ranks," Biwako said from the side. "With all this new Bingo book nonsense, it would be better to keep him away from frontlines for now."

"Biwako san, they will always be out there for me. I can't keep hiding inside the village for a long time. This way, I will at least gain more experience," I whined as much as I could trying not to tip her off.

"Enough! Leave that talk for later," she admonished me, "now, eat up!"

I didn't push much after that. But, two days later Hiruzen came through. I was to be deployed to the frontlines near Kiri border once more. This time I was a part of a chunnin cell and the deployment period was for six whole months. That's half a year. Half a year of not dealing with the mess that is my team. Needless to say, I was very glad for the opportunity.

For the village was becoming more and more suffocating as each day passed.

 **(*****)**

I was put in an auxiliary platoon this time. While it was a step up from a backup platoon, it was not the primary platoon either. Still, we ran into a lot of skirmishes and small scale battles in just a single month. Compared to my previous deployment, this one was more draining. The patrol duties we had were all in hotspot areas where the possibility of battle was higher.

In my free time, I trained like a maniac. I didn't waste a single second. If I wasn't training my speed or stamina, I was working on my fuinjutsu. I had lost my bow during the escape to keep the Kiri Jounin occupied to buy me precious time. So, now I was left to engage in close quarters more.

Slowly but surely my presence was beginning to be felt on the battlefield. It took some time, but by the third week into my second deployment Kiri Jounins were beginning to eye me. Those who are elite chunnin or a little less were the ones to challenge me these days. Occasionally, one of the jounins will attack me.

However, my platoon took preventive measures for such occurrence. Two jounins can always be found fighting beside me at all times. To say that I was an eyesore to Kiri ninja would be an understatement. In every battle or skirmish, Kiri ninja flocked to attack me unmindful of the consequences. I stopped using sealed weights altogether. These days, my kill count was increasing in a steady fashion.

By the end of the first month, I was beginning to hit a bottleneck in my taijutsu. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn't able to increase my speed or strength in a short time. I understood that it was gradual process and me forsaking my training weights didn't help it much either.

Given, I was already very proficient in taijutsu. I was one of the most brutal and deadliest shinobi when it came to engaging others in taijutsu. I have seen several Kiri ninja become flustered the moment they started to engage me in taijutsu these days. Recently, long-range specialists were the ones targeting me. Because, by now most Kiri ninja knew that meeting me in close quarters is surefire way to die.

The only exceptions were jounins. Even then, I could hold my own against them until help arrived. The only thing that was keeping me from becoming a threat to jounins was my relative age. No matter how good I am, I still can't compensate for their extended reach or sheer power, especially if they are jounins themselves.

Even though I hadn't planned to turn out as such a taijutsu monster, things happened. Constantly being on the verge of being impaled by kunai or sword did wonders for your reaction time and helped you to develop a healthy bit of instincts.

Most of my bad habits were shed in the last month. Currently, my taijutsu form was way too brutal for a kid of my age and very, very lethal to anyone below Jounin. With no bow to help me keep my enemies at bay for however much time possible, I had to start relying on my speed and instincts to ensure that I don't get surrounded. That forced me to improve at an alarming rate.

Being away from my team for just one month, helped me understand how much Tsuki sensei was holding me back. While he didn't necessarily sabotage me, he ignored me in my ideal time for growth. With Tsuki sensei focusing on Fujita, I was forced to become a part-teacher for Roku. While I didn't feel bad about that, it made me realize that there was no one there in my team to push me to improve. I was already the best among my teammates. And the only one better than me was Tsuki sensei – who ignored me.

Simmering rage blossomed in me as I realized how very easy it was for Tsuki sensei to halt my progress. Now that I had time and proper inclination to think about it, my Taijutsu had stagnated after the initial months. While I had busied myself with other things like my marksmanship, fuinjutsu, and others, needless to say, I had stagnated a lot during the time I was under Tsuki sensei.

And Fujita thought I didn't respect the bastard. He should be glad that I didn't try to kill Tsuki sensei.

Two months into my deployment, I began to vibrate my chakra in an effort to get a grasp on lightning transformation.

 **(*****)**

Yet another ambush!

I felt like cursing the kami for our recent streak of bad luck. The fourth month of my deployment saw our platoon running into constant ambushes. I even had a sinking suspicion that there was an imposter among our platoon.

As a result, half of our platoon was already dead. Only the luckiest and strongest were able to manage to survive. I didn't know which category I fell into honestly. I would like to believe that I was the latter, but three jounins chasing after me begged to differ.

These days there were no clear boundaries. Everything was a constant mess. Our platoon was deployed last month to attack the enemies. Konoha was no longer trying to only defend the border. Things were escalating rapidly.

Nevertheless, I digress. The streak of misfortune began two weeks ago. Ever since then, we were running into constant ambushes. And the worst part was that we didn't know if a spy had managed to infiltrate or Kiri had surrounded us and we keep running into them any direction we took.

It has been three days since I had split up from my platoon after the last ambush. We all silently agreed that moving in a group was more dangerous than moving alone at this point. This way, at least a few of us will return to the bunker. Who it would be will probably up to luck.

The past three days have been a constant chase of cat and mouse between me and six jounins. I have successfully thrown three of them off my trail. But, the other three were being far too persistent in their desire to behead me for my taste. Honestly, they sent six freaking jounins after a mere chunnin like me. The assholes!

I hid under a bush and with a twist of my chakra a water clone led my pursuers away as I suppressed my chakra to the limit. If the past three days have taught me anything, it was to never underestimate basic jutsus like the academy three. The clone jutsu and substitution was becoming an invaluable survival tool during a chase.

I also knew from my experience, that my sleight of hand wouldn't last long. The buggers always seemed to figure out that it was a clone within a few minutes. Then, they would probably backtrack and try to find me again. I wasted no time in pulling off a substitution replacing myself with a rock I had left my chakra mark on a few miles back and took off in the direction of the bunker.

It took me another day to shake off those annoying jounins for good. By that time, I was truly exhausted beyond humanly possible. If not for my chakra sensing, I am sure I would be a dead body in the nameless countryside by now.

I found a small river and finally collapsed in exhaustion. I decided to find a place to hide and recover before resuming my journey to the bunker. As much as I wanted to go towards the bunker with all haste, I knew running around in my exhausted state would be suicidal.

So, without further ado, I found small cave near to the river and promptly fell down into exhausted sleep after booby-trapping the hell out of the entrance and casting a basic genjutsu to hide the presence of the cave.

 **(*****)**

It took me three days to recover my energy completely. Even then, I made note to myself to not use any chakra intensive jutsus until I made it to the bunker. I started off with a normal genin pace making sure to hide my tracks. Weeks of being chased around will do wonders for your stealth skills.

I have learned a few techniques from experienced veterans who had survived the last war in the bunker. But, until I was being chased by six jounins I had never had the opportunity to test them out in a real-time environment. It took almost a day of trial and error to get into the proper usage rhythm and polish my skills. That was one of the reasons it took me so long to escape the damned bastards.

I passed by a clearing and took to the trees for a few minutes before coming to an abrupt stop – half from sheer surprise and half from the sheer irony of the situation. For Momochi Zabuza was standing across the next clearing with his tanto strapped to his back, as if he was waiting for me.

I contemplated making a getaway, but in the end decided not to. It was clear from his lack of surprise that he has been expecting me. I didn't know how he was able to intercept me, but his mere presence made alarm bells ring in my mind.

I subtly crouched down eyeing him and pressed my fingers to the ground. As my chakra sensing provided me a detailed input about the vicinity, I can't help but be surprised. There was absolutely no other chakra signature in the vicinity for miles. He was truly all alone.

I stood up masking my surprise and scrutinized him. I didn't know what his plan was, but I was willing to keep myself refrained by giving a chance to explain.

"Momochi Zabuza, to what do I owe this pleasure?" I asked him.

"Senju Hatorama, the Red-Eyed Devil of Konoha," he replied, "you don't have red eyes."

I paused at the sheer incredulity of his statement. It confused me for a few moments.

"It only turns red when I am enraged," I supplied hesitantly.

"So, you aren't enraged now," he said with smirk.

"No, I am merely exhausted Zabuza," I said knowing that revealing such a thing could be dangerous, but it could also be used as an advantage. I wasn't that exhausted now.

"Tell me, are you related to Nidaime Hokage?" he asked with a gleam shining in his eyes.

"If you want an answer to such a mundane question Zabuza, you could have written me a letter," I sneered at him raising my guard up.

"I take it is a yes then," he said unsheathing his tanto and taking a kenjutsu stance – I had to admit that he did strike a cool pose.

I didn't reply. But, my silence spoke all the answers he needed. We both knew it.

"Then, I didn't waste my time after all," he smiled at last – at least that is what I understood with the widening of the bandages covering his mouth.

In reply, I merely took my taijutsu stance.

"I have recently become bored with killing other pests of my age. I am being sent back to start my training as the next generation Seven Swordsmen," he said haughtily as if he was talking to someone inferior.

I merely raised my eyebrows at that. I didn't know why he was telling this.

"You might be confused why I am telling this," he said in an arrogant tone that truly suited him.

"That thought has crossed my mind," I admitted my curiosity.

"Being one of Seven Swordsmen is no joke. Only the very best of the best are even considered to be trained," he went on rabbling.

"Mah, mah, I get it you are one of the best of Kiri's next generation. Get to the point already," I said picking my ears.

If anything my dismissive attitude made him angry, he looked like he wanted to kill me already. The Killing Intent he leaked was so dense that it made me pause in my actions. But, I leveled an unimpressed stare at him. After exhibiting Orochimaru's KI, Zabuza's was child play.

"Recently I have been hearing about this new child prodigy from Konoha. Most of the Kiri ninja are talking about how he is far better than me. So, I have come to see for myself how great he is," Zabuza at last spat out his reason with pure loathing etched across his face.

"Be careful Zabuza. Cattle shouldn't willingly seek out a tiger," I said my easy demeanor disappearing as I at last became serious.

"You will be a worthy sacrifice to offer to the beginning of my road to greatness," he sneered at me.

"You think you have a chance against me?" I asked in a soft voice.

"Don't compare other dimwitted idiots with me. You know what gets me, I have killed far more men than you, but those bastards keep talking as if you are better than me," he spat.

"Then I will show you why they feel that I am better than you," I smirked and launched into action.

Zabuza did the same.

We met halfway, my kunai against his tanto. While his tanto had the range, my taijutsu was far more better than his. We remained in a lockdown for a few moments before disengaging. Things escalated quickly. There was no testing out. We were both out for blood.

As good as Zabuza was, he wasn't a match for me at this stage. The only thing that kept him from being killed off in just a few exchanges was his tanto. I was fast, brutal and every hit of mine was aimed to be lethal. Zabuza struggled to cope with such a brutal style.

From his size, it was clear that he had always had overwhelming advantage when it came to power against someone of his age. But, unfortunately for him, I was used to fighting against more powerful opponents. Compared to some of the Kiri jounins, Zabuza was nothing. I easily negated his power by either redirecting it or shutting it down completely with my lethal attacks. More often than not he had to hastily change from offense to defense. That threw him off his rhythm completely.

Pretty soon, I was dominating him completely. He was trying very hard to stay in the fight. His wide eyes indicated that how big of a surprise it was for him. I could see him beginning to panic. For a moment, I felt like killing him off and let the entire canon go to hell. These days, there was this overwhelming itch to just fuck with canon.

I caught him with a brutal kick to his ribs and I could almost hear them break. My follow up to his throat was way too close to finishing him off. He scrambled back and hastily put some distance between us. I didn't follow him at all. I watched him with a disdainful sneer etched across my face.

He looked livid. It was clear that he was way too overconfident and had never thought about losing the fight. In his mind, he would be easily dispatching me off and walking away as the one who killed the Red Eyed Devil.

"Looks like you are not anything special Zabuza. Leave before I kill you," I taunted him.

His body went rigid and his eyes were wide in anger, but I didn't care much about it.

"What? Scared now? Beat it before I rip off your throat and gouge your eyes," I smirked at him.

For a few moments it looked like he would fall prey to my taunts and rush in like an idiot. But, in the end, his sanity prevailed.

"I admit that you are better than me in taijutsu. But, it doesn't mean that I can't kill you," he growled.

"Want to give it a try? Let's see who walks off from here alive," I smiled at him to further infuriate him.

Zabuza merely growled before initiating the Hidden Mist technique. For a second I stared at him in disbelief. Did he seriously think he could harm me buy creating some cover? Did no one tell him that I could use it too? Then again, the only time I used it against Kiri was when I was making my escape in the valley. So, it might be possible that he thought that I merely used it as a distraction.

Well, this is going to be fun. I cracked my knuckles in anticipation as the thick mist enveloped the surroundings.

"There are eight points in human body that are the best kill points," Zabuza's voice echoed in the mist.

Seriously, was this fucker expecting me to panic like a no-name genin. With a twist of my chakra, I left a water clone at my location and slinked off into the familiar territory of the mist as I suppressed my chakra.

"Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart," Zabuza mouthed off as I made a beeline to his location and neared him all the while suppressing my chakra.

"So, which should I choose?" I asked as innocently as possible into Zabuza's ears making him panic and start waving his tanto around.

"Idiot, don't you know that I am a sensor?" I asked ducking under his tanto and delivering a kick to his ass.

"What?" he asked in panic as he realized how fucked he was.

"How did you think I escaped from six of your jounins after being hunted for four fucking days?" I asked him as I broke his nose with a sick elbow.

"Aargh," he cried out in pain.

The situation was becoming more and more comical as each second passed. For the next few minutes, I taught Zabuza how deadly my taijutsu was. Especially in a visibility hindered area like this. When I took control of the mist despite his chakra lacing the entire thing, it finally dawned on Zabuza how outmatched he was.

In the end, I broke both his arms and completely turned him into a pretzel. For a moment, I felt like finishing the job and throwing the canon into disarray completely. I didn't know what it could result in, but it would be interesting to see the ripple effect of Zabuza's death. But, in the end, I managed to restrain it.

I knew it was my stress speaking. Being hunted for four fucking days by six Jounin did take its toll on my mentality and decision-making skills. Luckily, in the end, I restrained that impulsive desire to fuck with canon. But, leaving Zabuza just like this didn't sit well with me. The fucker had actually tried to kill me and make a name for himself. So, as a reminder of our meeting, I took his tanto and shaved his head with it before sheathing it on my shoulders.

"It was nice meeting you Zabuza. The next time we meet, I won't be just taking your hair and tanto. It will be your head," I growled at his body that was beaten bloody before disappearing from the scene.

It took me another one week to return to Konoha's bunker. I had to retrace my steps several times and take some alternative routes to bypass the Kiri ninja roaming around. When I reached the bunker, I learned that only one-fifth of our platoon made it back alive.

One good thing that came out of this recent fiasco was that I was getting more and more proficient in my sensing. The ordeal of being constantly on guard for enemies and having to work in a semi-exhausted state helped me to hone my skill to a decent level.

That and I was now the proud owner of a tanto.

 **(*****)**

The thing that bugged me most of that fiasco of deployment was that we never found if anyone had infiltrated us. It left a sour taste in my mouth. But, there was nothing I could do. So, I let it rest.

In the fifth month of my deployment, I came into contact with an interesting character. Shunshin no Shusui. While, he hasn't yet earned his moniker, it was clear that he was also making a name for himself on the battlefield. Unlike other Uchihas I came across, Shusui was kind, always smiling and cheerful sort. He had a playful sort of personality and he brightened the surroundings with his mere presence. He was so different from typical Uchihas that I couldn't help but notice him. Yet, I still maintained my distance from him.

Whether it was due to guilt or fear, I didn't know. I never bothered to think about it much either. Being on the battlefield, it left us very little time to spend on introspection. If you are not working, you are always in training and had very little time for socialization. And most of the nights were spent in battling nightmarish visions of the gruesome deaths you had witnessed or committed.

When the sixth month rolled around, I was sporting heavy bags under my eyes. Sleep deprivation was beginning to look more dangerous than I had ever thought them to be. Everyone knew that in the battlefield there is little room for mistakes. One slip up is all it takes to end up with a kunai in our jugular.

Apart from that, things progressed in monotony. There isn't much to do in the bunker other than training and chatting with the few comrades you actually got along with it.

Two weeks before my deployment was coming to an end, I received a news that saddened me to some degree. I was walking out of the bunker after a rough practice session. Trying to convert my chakra into lightning nature wasn't going well. Chakra burns were beginning to form on my fingers. But I came to an abrupt stop seeing who was in the vicinity.

Roku, Fujita, and Tsuki sensei were on a courier run to our bunker. The moment we saw each other, Tsuki sensei's lips thinned. Fujita looked as if he has seen a ghost. Roku looked nervous for some reason. As my eyes took in them, I found the reason readily enough. There was another genin who was looking between us in confusion.

They had already replaced me. And from the way the new member was behaving, it showed a level of comfort that no newly established team should have. If I had to guess, they had at least been a team for more than three months.

Something ugly reared in me. Even though, it was what I had wanted, I couldn't help but feel a little betrayed with how easily my team had moved on without me. I gritted my teeth and nodded politely at Roku before walking away.

"Hato san, Hato san" one of the jounins in my platoon jogged up to me as I walked away from them. "Be ready to be deployed in an hour. We are going to the area where there is frequent activity of Kiri ninja. With how eager they are for your head, you will need to be prepared."

"That isn't anything new, is it?" I asked jokingly before nodding at him.

"Don't worry, two more deployments and you will become a Jounin. If not for your relative age, you will be already one," he smiled at me amicably.

"You are just jesting," I replied good-naturedly.

"I wish," he said bluntly. "Anyways, I need to leave and inform others in our platoon."

I nodded as he took off with shunshin.

"Roku!" Tsuki sensei, scratch that, Tsuki's stern voice made me turn.

Roku was looking at Tsuki sensei with a pleading expression. After a few moments, he huffed and turned around.

"Make it quick. We will go and deliver the missive," he bit out angrily before marching off.

The new genin looked at me and Roku in confusion before trotting off behind Tsuki sensei. As I waited for Roku to reach me, I observed Fujita. His face betrayed that he was angry with something. But, there was also a subtle hint of jealousy mixed in it. I didn't know what he was jealous about. He had everything I wanted. A sensei who actually guided him, two teammates whom he could be friends with and relative safety from the frontlines.

I looked away from him before I could lose my cool. As Roku neared me, Fujita looked like he wanted to say something. But, he refrained. He let out a sneer and marched off to find Tsuki.

"Hi," Roku said nervously.

Watching her tiptoe around me, my anger subsided. Isn't this what I wanted? Roku is safe from being deployed to the frontlines. I no longer had to deal with Fujita or Tsuki's bullshit. Then, why was I angry? Before I had left, I had told Hiruzen the same thing. Now, it had become a reality.

"Hi Roku, how's your injury?" I asked with a fake cheerful voice.

"I am fully healed now. There are no issues," she said nervously.

"So," I asked gesturing at the direction Fujita and others had gone.

"Yeah," she struggles to speak up.

"Who's the new one?" I asked.

"His name is Daichi. He is a new graduate. Hokage sama assigned him to our team after…. Tsuki sensei recovered."

 _After you left._

That's what she wanted to say and I could read between the lines.

"So, how's it going?" I asked faking interest.

"It's…. different," she huffed. "Now that I have seen Tsuki sensei interact with Daichi, I can understand why you left. He is very different. Not like what he was with you."

"Hmmm," I nodded along.

"And Fujita…. he is different too. Not by much. But, he doesn't get into fights that often. Its all very different," she said voicing out her confusion.

"How are you?" I asked a genuine question at last.

"I don't know… Like I said, everything is different. Its almost as if things are better. And I don't know how to feel about that. I miss you, you know. Daichi is a good kid, but… he isn't you. I miss having you around. You always know how to cheer me up and you were always there to help me. Now that you are gone, I don't know. It feels like something's missing."

Tears started pooling in her eyes making me sigh. At least, someone missed me.

"Hey, hey," I consoled her. "What's this all about? Relax, I am still here. When I return to the village, we can still hang out. I can even train you to kick Fujita's ass in Taijutsu. I have learned a lot in these six months, you know," I waggled my eyebrows causing her to break out a small smile.

"Look, this is what I said. You always know how to cheer me up," she said sniffling.

"Is Fujita still being an ass?"

"Nah, he is always an ass. Now that you are not there to beat him down a notch, he is acting as if he is all superior to us. And that new kid is like a lost puppy, he always agrees with whatever Fujita says. It is getting to his head," she smiled in reply.

"Then, it's decided. When I return, I will train you to beat him up," I said laughing myself.

"Promise," she asked gracing me with a genuine smile.

"Promise," I said rustling her hair knowing full well she didn't like it.

"You!"

"Fine, fine," I lifted my arms in surrender.

"Anyways, I gotta go before Tsuki sensei gets mad at me. Make sure you get back in one piece. Don't forget that you promised to train me," she said as she prepared to leave.

"You too, take care. And don't ever hesitate," I said solemnly.

She nodded before engulfing me in a surprising hug. I stood there not knowing what to do. I gently patted her back as she sniffled a little.

"I gotta go, bye," she said before rushing away.

I stood there watching Roku go with a wistful expression. I consoled myself stating that it was all for the better. This way, Roku will be relatively out of danger.

Yet, I couldn't help but feel a little sad.

* * *

 **A/N: And that my folks brings the end to Hatorama's team. While this isn't what many had expected, I think Hato moving further away from his team due to his progress was the right way to end this team. However, there is still a bit of loose ends that will be tied up when it comes to the team in the next few chapters.**


	27. Chapter 27 - Guilt And Deaths

**A/N: I know this update is faster than any of you would have expected. But, I am currently writing fast to finish off with the War Arc. As it nears the end, my writing is picking up pace.**

 **On a side note, some aspects of this fic might make a few people irritated, but I guess it happens. But, this chapter might make a lot of people happy with what's happening in it. Some answers and closures you needed will be in this chapter.**

 **And WARNING! One particular section of this chapter is a little bit vicious, but I felt it was necessary. So, don't be put off with that. It won't happen much. I would say it will never happen again, but no promises!**

 **Once again, stay safe and follow safety precautions.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27 – Guilt and Deaths**

* * *

I admit I was honest to Kami in awe of Shikaku's strategic brilliance.

Two weeks after my second deployment to the frontlines, I found myself infiltrating Kumo for a retrieval mission. Retrieval missions are in essence one of the most dangerous missions to exist. The danger was due to its sheer frequency of running into a horde of enemy ninjas.

After I returned from my second deployment to the border, I was given two weeks of downtime. The downtime reserved for shinobis were beginning to become less and less due to the intensity of the war raging on. The high number of the death toll and the increase in the need for able personnel made it impossible to keep an active ninja out of the roster for long.

While I had expected to be sent out to the border once more, Hiruzen put his foot down hard. Apparently, my sleep-deprived state that I arrived in was the cause of concern. Biwako had chewed out Hiruzen and even some of the higher-ups had expressed their concern about my mental state. Hence I was given a different sort of mission when I was pulled back into the roster.

The mission was classified B-rank with the possibility of bumping it up to A rank. As we had to infiltrate deep into Kumo, we had to naturally do it with a highly professional and minimal team to avoid any possibility of exposure.

Shikaku was the Jounin in charge of the mission. Might Guy was the main taijutsu specialist. He was our battering ram. Shisui Uchiha was the second member who was our ninjutsu and genjutsu specialist. I was brought into the team mainly as a support for them in case we ran into more enemies than they could handle. But, Shikaku made it clear to me that I was brought into the team because I was a sensor.

A sensor was currently in high demand for such infiltration missions. Normally, a mission of this kind would be given to a team of Jounin. But, as we were in the war, they had to use every available resource to the best of our abilities.

The mission had gone well until we found our client and initiated the retrieval. But, everything went to bonkers once we had retrieved the target a few miles from our meeting point. It was clear that a trap had been waiting for us. Pretty soon, we were shit deep in enemy ninja and were basically fighting our way out of Kumo.

That's when Shikaku's tactical brilliance came into play. The man was a genius – on so many levels that I couldn't even start describing the sheer incredulity of his brain. He came up with plan after plan that allowed us to always be a few steps ahead of the opposition.

Whether it be Guy, Shisui, or myself, our only job is to make sure we follow his instructions to T. That's when I realized how important it is for a Jounin sensei to be present leading others. His experience and strategic thinking helped us significantly in thinning our pursuers one by one.

He didn't go for a head-on confrontation. Chased by more than four Jounin teams of Kumo, the man went to take them out one by one. The initial head start we had was increasing daily as we neared the border.

From a few hours, we soon found ourselves having a lead of almost a day. When we were merely a day from the border, things took a turn for worse. While we all held suspicions on the nature of the trap we had found ourselves in, we all still made sure to be professional with our client. But all our suspicions only got stronger as at each encounter, our enemies seemed to know who they were dealing with.

And just a day before reaching the border, it became very apparent that our client had turned traitor and had sold us to the enemy. After Shikaku caught him red-handed and was done extracting information from him, it became clear that Kumo was highly invested in killing off our team. So much so, that they had mobilized a whole platoon from the border to intercept us.

That's when Shikaku pulled out yet another tactical brilliance. The reason he had requested me to be on the team was that he knew that while I was adept in a support role if needed I can become a battering ram too. My experience in escaping countless Kiri shinobi on my own and returning to our side was also a decisive factor. Hence, he had requested my presence.

On Shikaku's orders, we switched our roles.

I was made to take the point and lead us out of Kumo. I made Shisui act as a backup and long-range. With Guy acting as a supportive taijutsu specialist and another battering ram, Shikaku was relegated to the role of merely keeping up with us. I ordered a breather as we had a full day lead on our pursuers. During the rest, I outlined my initial plan. When Shikaku asked for specifics further, I told them that having a detailed plan would be a hindrance on this occasion.

While he seemed to understand my point, something within him didn't feel that comfortable with acting with no proper plan. I identified the sole objective as to reach the borders and forbid any use of flashy jutsu. Surprisingly enough, Shisui agreed with my assessment. Having an Uchiha agree with me on anything was a truly novel experience.

We then took off in a diagonal direction, instead of a straight line. My reasoning being although the straight line might lessen our distance, it would also lead us into the thick of the enemy platoon. This way, we will be hitting the sidelines and if we were lucky entirely escaping the confrontation altogether. The others agreed.

Being a sensor and taijutsu specialist, I took point with Guy right on my coattails. Shikaku was in the middle and his only job was to aid us if we encountered more than we could handle. Shisui was bringing the rear. I advised him to use mostly weapons and if needed, genjutsu that needed less chakra.

I asked him to cast a basic genjutsu masking our sound. With that done, I ordered to forget about stealth and rush as fast as possible in the formation. Shikaku seemed like he wanted to object but I explained to him that there is no use in hiding our tracks now that the enemy knew where we were thanks to the traitor.

The main objective we have is to safely reach the border before Kumo deployed yet another platoon to tie us down. Then we would be in for trouble. As long as we didn't use flashy jutsu and reveal our position to the enemy, we are fine. Even if they tracked us from behind, we now had enough lead to make sure it didn't become an overwhelming disadvantage. Satisfied by explanation, we dropped the stealth and started to race through Kumo.

As luck would have it, we didn't entirely bypass the Kumo platoon. However, as I had predicted we only met them on the outskirts, giving us enough time to punch through them before the entire platoon fell upon us.

The first Kumo ninja we met was a Jounin. He was taken completely by surprise. But we were prepared as I had already sensed him and signed about his presence to my team. Me and Guy fell upon him like a ton of boulders as Shisui enveloped us in a sound canceling genjutsu. Even though he was a Jounin, he wasn't a match for the combined assault of me and Guy. To add to that, he was a kenjutsu expert. And we didn't allow him to even draw his sword. But, things soon came to a head when Shikaku trapped him with a shadowbind. I immediately followed up with a kunai to the throat and we were off.

We punched through the remaining Kumo shinobi in our way in the same fashion. Occasionally, we will get into a tight spot with more than enough Kumo shinobi present. But, Shisui's use of genjutsu was very creative and brilliant.

One time, he messed with a jounin's balance. The Jounin only needed a second to escape from the genjutsu. But, I was already on him in his moment of weakness. A kunai to the eye did the job. Another time, he made a chunnin attack his partner giving Guy enough time to dispose of two of their comrades. His creative use was further exhibited when he messed a jounin's sense of right and left. But, the mere second he struggled with it was enough for me as he blocked with his right hand when I was clearly attacking his left side. The result was a kunai to his gut. And I didn't let the advantage go as I made sure to target his left side from then on.

Shikaku manipulated his shadows to capture and isolate targets for me and Guy to finish them off. We never took more than a minute in a fight. We were always moving. Our team was far too well-coordinated compared to Kumo ninja that we surprised with our presence. Within ten minutes, we had punched through the enemy platoon and were on our way to the border.

Shikaku immediately ordered us to change positions. With him taking the lead once more, I was ordered to bring up the rear. Guy took the point and Shishui took back his old role. With most of the Kumo ninja behind us, it became prudent that I took the rear. The sudden change in tactics and leadership helped us take Kumo by surprise.

In the end, they never caught up to us.

 **(*****)**

When we reached the Konoha and reported to the Hokage, it became apparent to us that they had expected something like this to happen. While Hiruzen commended me, Shisui and Guy for a job well done, Shikaku once more took off to take care of his administrative duties.

Just when I thought that he would dismiss us all, Hiruzen asked me to stay back.

"Hato kun, how was the experience of leading a team?" he asked amicably.

I narrowed my eyes, "If you thinking of promoting me again, I don't want it. I am fine with where I am."

"Ha ha ha, no, no. While you are developing exceptionally, you still have a long way to go before becoming a Jounin."

I let out the breath I was holding.

"So, how was it?"

"It was good. At least, Shikaku san trusted me enough to follow my instructions," I said with a smile.

"Ah, the talk is you are becoming more and more proficient in escaping after being surrounded by enemy ninja. There is a talk that you will do great in infiltration and retrieval missions. And this mission only proves that."

"The main reason we were able to escape was Shisui. His use of genjutsu is brilliant," I said knowing that it was the truth.

"I see," Hiruzen nodded. "Anyways, I am afraid I have some bad news for you."

I looked at him a little bit puzzled.

"Your team, sorry, former team has run into some unfortunate circumstances. Tsuki and Roku are currently being treated."

"What happened to Roku?" I asked as panic began to fill me.

"Nothing life-threatening, I assure you. Why don't you go and visit her? I think the staff there can tell you more details than I can," if he noticed me not asking about Tsuki he didn't mention it thankfully.

"I will," I said nodding, "then I will take my leave Hokage sama."

"Go on," he motioned as he went back to his paperwork.

 **(*****)**

When I reached Roku's room after enquiring about it in the reception, her father was sitting outside. As we made eye contact he gave me a curt nod before looking away. More than grief, there seemed to be anger in his visage. I understood from it that something had gone monumentally wrong with this mission.

I walked into the room and stood stock still in shock. I could hardly move my eyes away from her prone form. She was alive and conscious, but that was it. But, my eyes refused to leave the area where her legs were. At least where they should be.

Because one of her legs was missing.

"Hey," Roku tried to act nonchalant as she saw me looking at the place where her left leg should be.

I took in a deep breath before walking forward and took a seat beside her bed.

"What happened?" I croaked, my voice refusing to cooperate.

"We ran into some Iwa bastards," she said in a dejected tone. "One of them felt it would be good to crush my left leg into a pulp. They had to remove it."

I looked up at her face, but she refused to meet my eyes. I didn't know what to say. I merely stared at the place where her left leg should have been.

"Couldn't they…."

"They could do nothing. All the bones, muscles and tenketsu points were crushed into a pulp," she said monotonously.

I had to fight back tears that were threatening to leak from my eyes. I looked away from her around the room. I felt guilty to look at her in that form. If I had present, maybe I could have stopped this. I felt angry at myself for being selfish and leaving the team. Conflicting emotions raged inside me trying to drown me.

"You didn't ask what happened to others," she said after a while.

I didn't reply. I didn't care for either Tsuki or Fujita. For all I cared, they could go hang themselves.

"What happened to Daichi?" I asked at last turning back to her.

"Dead," she whispered with a haunted look.

I fought hard not to glance at her leg. She wouldn't want that. Roku wouldn't want my pity. She was a strong kid and the only thing I could do was be supportive. Then her words registered to me making me blink.

"We were part of a convoy sending food and essentials to a border station. It happened while we were returning from delivery. It happened so fast. I don't know what actually happened to be frank. One moment we were returning, the next we were fighting of a group of Iwa bastards."

"Fujita rushed into the fray like a madman. He didn't listen to Tsuki sensei or anyone else. Tsuki sensei went after him to safeguard him, leaving both me and Daichi alone. Daichi didn't even last long. I saw him die, you know. Right in front of my eyes," tears were dripping from her face by now.

"Then I was all alone. It was scary. You were always there when something like this happened. You always protected me. But, you were not there. And I was all alone," she said in a haunted tone that ripped my heart.

The tears I was holding back were flowing freely now.

"I fought with everything I know. Even when you were not there, I kept hearing your voice. Telling me to duck, telling me to move sideways and such stuff. It helped me. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be here."

I held back a sob that was threatening to escape.

"But, I was not as good as you. One of the bastards got me with a jutsu. Earth, I think. It enveloped my legs and crushed it. Luckily, one of the jounins heard my scream and came to aid me. By the time the fight was over, I was already out cold from pain. I just woke up hours ago," she said in a small voice looking at her lost leg.

"I still can feel tingles down there, you know. Like there should be something there, but it's missing now," she muttered softly.

I couldn't sit there anymore. I rushed out of the room and the moment I crossed the threshold I was sitting down and sobbing. Guilt wrecked me as I tried to make sense of what the fuck was actually happening to me.

 _I was all alone. It was scary. You were always there when something like this happened. You always protected me. But, you were not there. And I was all alone._

Roku's haunted voice echoed inside my head making it hard for me to breathe. Suddenly, I felt a hand tighten around my shoulders and looked up to see Roku's father looking at me sympathetically. Anger blazed in me and my eyes turned red.

If that man hadn't treated me so distantly, I wouldn't have left the team. If the man had treated me like he did Fujita, I would have stayed. Maybe I would have been able to protect Roku from her fate.

But, then again, maybe she would have died on the frontlines if I had remained on the team. Is the loss of a leg better than the loss of life? I didn't know, I had never been in that situation to know what it felt like. Even though I was still raging inside, I calmed down enough after that to not take out my anger on the man whose kid was in the hospital.

"Where's the bastard, Tsuki?" I growled at Roku's father.

Tsuki would do. If anyone is responsible for Roku's current condition, it was Tsuki. Like always, he ran after Fujita sparing no thought to Roku's wellbeing. Finally, finding a target on whom I could unleash my anger upon, I stood up and dried my eyes.

"Where's he?" I asked barely managing to restrain my temper.

Roku's father looked at me in sympathy.

"In the next room," he said. "He is critically injured and is hanging between life and death."

That took the wind out of my sails. My anger deflated and my shoulders slumped. He guided me to a chair nearby and I plunked myself in it. We sat there side by side in silence for a while. I didn't have the courage to go back inside.

In the end, I asked the one question bugging me, "Where's Fujita? Has he even visited her?"

He was the root cause of all this. If I find the bastard whole and healthy, I am going to carve a piece out of his flesh. Not just a piece, I am going to carve out his entire body, gouge out his eyes, break both his le….

"Missing in Action," Roku's father said in a somber tone.

Not killed, but missing in action.

"They were only able to save Roku and Tsuki before they had to retreat. No one saw him die, but no one knows where he is either. Hence, he has been deemed MIA."

While he said MIA, we both knew well that Fujita was most likely dead. While no one saw him die, it didn't mean he survived. Even if he did, he would be taken as a prisoner by Iwa. Huh, that would be a good punishment for that bastard. If he was indeed alive, then most likely he would be tortured and then once all information was extracted, he would be promptly disposed of.

Considering that Fujita is merely a genin, he wouldn't have much information that Iwa required. Very few MIAs returned back safe and healthy. And it isn't like people going MIA happened only rarely. It was far too frequent in war. Almost every run-in with a large amount of enemy shinobi had someone going MIA. That is one of the reasons my escapes after being surrounded by enemy shinobi was notable in war.

"Both my genin team died in the last war. I was the only one to make it alive," Roku's father spoke suddenly. "When my precious daughter was drafted into war, it was one of my worst fears. I had lost her mother to the war too. Not only me, far too many people have lost someone to the war. I don't think I need to tell you that. After all, you are the last of your clan."

"I understand completely what you are going through. Seeing a friend in such a condition, you feel as if you are the one responsible for it. But, don't do that to yourself. I am glad that she is at least alive. And you should be too," he said looking at Roku's room.

As I digested his words, I too looked at her room. While, it didn't help much to alleviate the grief, pain, and anger in me, it kind of comforted me. True, I should be glad that she is at least alive. I have seen far too many people die. I have taken far too many lives myself. I should know how easy it was to take someone's life.

"I admit," Roku's father spoke after a while, "I was rash in treating you formally when we last met. But, I hope you understand where I am coming from. I had lost my friends and family to the last war. All I had left was my precious daughter. And when she was hospitalized after being on the frontlines, which she was far young to be in, I didn't think rationally. All I could think of was how being on the same team as you put her in such danger. But, when you left the team, I felt ashamed at my behavior. What right do I have to be angry at you when you were the one who saved my daughter countless times? I simply ley my fear overtake my rationality."

"Learn from me, don't let your fear override your rationality. Now go, comfort your teammate. She will need your help to bounce back from this," he patted my back and motioned me to go inside Roku's room.

I graced him with a small smile and walked into the room to comfort my friend.

 **(*****)**

I hadn't still forgiven Hiruzen for dropping such a bombshell on me. A part of me – that is sane, far too mature, and from another world where there were no child soldiers, thought it was Hiruzen's damn fault for what happened to Roku. No amount of logical arguments such as the different worlds and cultures we were living in was enough to assuage that. That is why I was far too pissed to read the mood of the room when I was summoned to the Hokage's office.

Hiruzen was eyeing me with a calculating look. From his expression, it was clear that he knew I was angry at him for something. But, the other occupants like Orochimaru and Shikaku were merely eyeing with interest. Danzo looked annoyed and the councilors looked as if they had found a treasure.

"Senju Hatorama," one of the councilors began calling my attention to him. If he flinched a little when I leveled him with a flat look, that's not my business.

"You have been called here to address the inconsistency of your report on the activities of your first deployment. Especially, the last incident which earned you the nickname "Red-Eyed Devil"," he continued schooling his expression into something neutral.

"What inconsistencies?" I asked in an annoyed tone.

"We were led to believe that you have omitted your former teammate Uchiha Fujita's degenerating mental state on purpose," the other councilor said with disapproval dripping from her voice.

"And who led you to believe that?" I asked baffled by such a statement.

"That's none of your concern," she huffed.

"It is mine as it pertains to me being here," I retorted calmly as my rational side began to kick in.

"Hatorama," Hiruzen barked bringing my attention to him, "were you aware of Fujita kun's mental state being less than ideal?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then, why didn't you report it when you returned from the deployment?" he asked looking baffled.

"I remember, Roku, on my advice, reporting it to then leader of my platoon Uchiha Ryoma and our team's sensei Mokurimo Tsuki. I even discussed it with my comrades in the bunker during the deployment. They assured me that it is a normal thing to happen during a first deployment. They said and I quote, _"It is normal kiddo. This is your first deployment. Some shinobi cope with the stress of being deployed to frontlines with increasingly violent behavior. A simple meeting would a Yamanaka would solve it. You don't need to worry."_ I took my comrade's advice and didn't worry about it much."

"Then, why didn't you report it when you returned from the deployment?" the male councilor asked.

"Well, I thought that it would have been noted in Uchiha Ryoma's report. I was only a messenger carrying his reports on the deployment when I returned. I was neither the platoon leader nor was I in charge of the team. If anything you need to ask why Mokurimo Tsuki didn't report it till now. I mean, its been, what almost a year since that incident? Are you telling me he didn't note it even after being reported by his teammate?"

Looks were exchanged and something clicked in my mind.

"He didn't report, right?" I asked, "It was someone else who noticed in the last mission and reported it."

Hiruzen let out a huge sigh and nodded making look at them in sheer wonder. How the hell did a child killer not get a mental check-up for his mental health till now?

"It appears when Uchiha Ryoma perished in the line of duty and Mokurimo Tsuki got injured in that last mission that the issue about Fujita's mental health was missed in the ensuing confusion. Since Ryoma's reports were perfect and Hato kun had only been asked about the last mission where his interaction with Fujita was minimal, no one reported about his mental state." Shikaku spoke making all of us turn towards him.

"That means," Shikaku continued, "Tsuki assumed that Fujita had undergone a checkup when he returned to duty. Since they were only having minimal contact with the enemy and considering there was a new genin on the team, any warning signs were ignored as something related to stress."

"Not to mention his father was killed right in front of his eyes," Orochimaru stated the overlooked information in a calm tone.

"And that," Shikaku said massaging his brows. "Seriously, Tsuki must have seen it before. I mean, its almost a year."

"And why didn't Uchiha Ryoma include it in his reports?" Danzo asked at last with disapproval clear on his face.

"I think he and Tsuki decided to keep it out of the books," Shikaku groaned.

"And that would mean that the fault didn't lie with Hato kun," Danzo said sharply looking at both the councilors who were not looking him in the eye.

"A simple miscommunication leading to the death of one of the most promising shinobis and loss of another one," Hiruzen stated, at last, taking a huge drag from his pipe.

I was then promptly dismissed. But, the rage in me was far from quelled. I was sure that Tsuki noticed that Fujita hadn't gone counseling, but he turned a blind eye not wanting to find fault with his favorite pupil. As a result, Roku had lost her leg. I didn't care about Fujita or Daichi. But, Roku was an entirely different matter. Tsuki was going to pay for this dearly.

 **(*****)**

I was being needlessly vicious. I knew so. My temporary team knew so. But, no one called me upon it. They knew that something had pissed me off and were keeping their distance from me as far as possible. And running into Iwa ninja only furthered my anger and I finally let it all out.

I punched through the Iwa nin's guard with sheer brute force and broke his jaw. Not even giving him a chance to howl in pain, I grabbed him by the hair and slammed him on the nearest rock headfirst. His head became a pulp from the impact.

I body flickered and rammed into another Iwa chunnin, he staggered back from the impact. I followed it up with a kunai right through his head before he could stabilize. An Iwa ninja tried to catch me with an earth jutsu. I body flickered away.

My hands blurred and a wave of water blasted him off his feet. I followed up with electrocuting him with lightning chakra. When he remained twitching, I lobbed a kunai with an explosive tag right into his body. I body flickered once more and caught a Jounin from behind with a water whip which almost gutted him into two.

If the whip was sharper, he would have been. Unfortunately, water wasn't known for its sharpness. But, I made up for it by encasing his head with a water globe before he could get out of the daze. I watched him struggle dispassionately before throwing two explosion tag attached kunai into his body. He exploded, splattering limbs and blood all over.

"Hatorama, we need to retreat," the jounin in-charge barked making me growl, "now!"

I reluctantly retreated, but not before throwing a few more kunai attached with exploding tags near the Iwa ninjas who were groaning on the ground. As we took off, we heard the explosion tags off creating a ruckus and destroying whoever was left behind.

Shisui was giving me a concerned look. He had never seen me act bloodthirsty like this. In the previous mission, I had been far too mellow. I usually took out my targets, brutally but very effectively. Not like this. I had always done things clinically and not showed any indication of viciousness that most shinobi showed. But, today was something else.

"Are you alright?" he asked as we hopped through the trees.

I nodded and grumbled. I still had some leftover anger to get out of my system. But, trying to linger in Iwa territory was akin to suicide. We were on a sabotage mission deep in Iwa. Our ruckus would have now let everyone know that Konoha ninja was in the vicinity. I grimaced at that thought. But, a part of me was salivating at the thought of running into more Iwa ninja.

We traveled for a day before our Jounin called to rest.

"Shisui, create a genjutsu covering us. Kenta, create some basic perimeter traps. Don't overextend, just make sure we have enough time to respond in case they find us. Hatorama, come with me," he ordered briskly and walked to the side.

"What was that?" he hissed as I reached him. "I was informed enough of you to know that what you did was uncharacteristic of you. Care to explain?"

"Sorry Souta san," I grimaced. "I got carried away."

"Shove it Senju," he hissed back. "Now Iwa will be all over us."

I winced knowing what he said was true.

"While none of us expected to get out of Iwa territory without a fight, what you did there was like lighting a flare. Every Iwa shinobi in the vicinity will be upon us now. Pray that nothing untoward happens, or else I will have your head."

"I understand," I said dejectedly.

"But, I won't deny. What you did there gave us some much-needed respite, but any more of your shenanigans. I will be gutting you myself."

I merely nodded knowing that I had let my emotions take over and put my team in danger. After that talk, I was much more subdued. We rested until we were all recovered before booking it back to Konoha. Luckily, we were able to escape Iwa's notice after that.

I breathed a sigh when we entered the village gates.

 **(*****)**

As expected, I was forced to attend counseling after that. After I worked out my anger issues by talking to a Yamanaka, I was ordered to rest in the village for two more weeks. When I was back on the roster, I was deployed to Kiri border for another six months.

The general consensus was that I need to stay away from Iwa ninja as far as possible. My Yamanaka shrink had identified an irrational hatred in me for Iwa. And that made me highly dangerous to be deployed in their vicinity – both for them and to Konoha. Luckily, it was expected to mellow out with time.

Things soon became a routine. I was becoming a notable shinobi in the bunker. After my last two stints here, things were progressing well and I was one of the experienced ninjas in the bunker. Very few shinobi were deployed back to back like me.

And the fact that Kiri was still out for my head only raised my prestige among the other shinobi. One day, one of the shinobi who recently came to the bunker showed me a Bingo book page. It as from Iwa. I had unexpectedly been placed on their bingo book as well.

Currently, I was on three Bingo books. Kumo had designated me as a B rank threat. Kiri and Iwa as an A rank threat. Iwa had termed me as a vicious beast and Kiri wasn't far off from them as well. I currently had a Flee on Sight order for chunnin and below in both Kiri and Iwa.

The jounins were asked to Kill on Sight of course. It wouldn't do to let me grow. The war was raging more and more intense as time passed. My name was becoming more and more resounding in Kiri. Quite frankly, the only one more popular amidst Kiri shinobi than me was Fugaku. His moniker was Wicked Eye Fugaku. I had to say it fit him well.

He was a terror on the battlefield. Ever since my recent deployment, I was placed in the main contingent of forces present in the border. This provided me with ample opportunity to see Fugaku in action. His genjutsu prowess practically scared me. He could kill a large number of shinobi with just that. The moment he ensnared you in it, you are a walking dead.

The few times I had to work with him, he always acted very professionally. He never let his personal emotions get in his way. He was calm, logical, and very willing to take the lead in attacking the enemy. He never asked something of his shinobi that he himself didn't do. That was a great quality of a leader.

But, I digress, to say the least, my latest deployment into the frontlines was eventful. I fought far more times than I could count. My kill count was increasing in a steep incline. If Fugaku had more kills when it came to jounins, I had more kills when it came to chunnin and below.

And it was only natural that life decided to fuck with me.

 **(*****)**

I had pushed back thoughts about canon to the back of my mind. I couldn't honestly bother about it, for I was busy surviving the Third Shinobi War. While others would consider changing canon the priority, my priority was surviving till canon began.

What use was changing canon if I can't even live long enough to reap the benefits for it? I wasn't so noble like that. As a person, I was selfish and it reflected in my narrow thinking. But, I had no problems with that. While I had a vague suspicion that my mere existence might change canon is someway, I didn't think about it much. After all, I had killed far too many people. What if one of them played a major role in Mei's life or Zabuza's life or anyone else's life?

So, I had never bothered to think about canon much.

But, right now, canon was staring right in my face and as fate would have it I was powerless to do anything about it. Oh, the irony of it!

 ** _Hey Hato kun,_**

 ** _I hope you are doing fine there. As fine as you could be. Anyways, I am writing to you to inform that when you return next, I will be proud owner of the name Mrs. Namikaze, dattebane!_**

 ** _I know, right! That blockhead finally popped the question, dattebane!_**

 ** _And the dork created a ring embedded with his very own fully functional Hirashin in it! I am so happy right now Otouto. Although I want to wait till you are back, we don't want to wait till then._**

 ** _Minato tells me that war will be over soon. But, you and me, we both know that is only a speculation. I want to start a family Otouto. I want to have kids and watch them grow up. One dorky and blondy like Minato and one free-spirited like me. I hope it happens soon._**

 ** _Mikoto tells me that she planning for another child. Itachi kun is already growing up fast and she tells that she wants to have a baby as soon as this war is over. Yoshino and Akira are also waiting for the war to be over to have babies. I want to join them. Imagine if all our babies are born in the same year! That will be too sweet, ne!_**

 ** _Right now, Minato is currently going on a very important mission to Iwa border. Once he returns, we will have our marriage._**

 ** _P.S: Kakashi made Jounin and he is leading the team. Obito is not happy, he he he!_**

 ** _Regards,_**

 ** _Your favorite Nee san,_**

 ** _Kushina Uzumaki._**

 ** _(I think I am not going to change my name. And my children will all be called Uzumaki. We have a rich history and I don't want to end with me. And if Minato doesn't agree, I am gonna beat him into pulp, dattebane!)_**

As I read the letter Kushina had sent me, I couldn't help but grimace. The letter was full of canon. Yoshino and Akira would be Choji and Shikamaru's moms. The second baby of Mikoto would be Sasuke. And the mission.

The goddamned mission that starts everything!

Kanabi Bridge. Obito's supposed death.

Which then spirals into Rin's death, followed by Kyubi attack. Which leads to Uchiha Massacre and everything else.

What am I gonna do?

Better yet, what could I do now?

I mean, I am miles away from any of them. By the time this letter had reached me, Minato's team would be off to complete the mission. So, I was practically powerless in this situation. How the hell do I even do something in such a situation?

I surely can't tell Fugaku what I know. He would send me for a mental evaluation straight away. Anything else, I might do will be too late. So, even though I know what was going to happen, all I could do was to wait for the news and watch the events unfold like a powerless bystander.

If at anytime Minato learns that I could have prevented Obito's supposed death, he will kill me. But, I could live with that, if worse comes worst. What bugged me most was the prospect of Kushina dying in a few years. I admit I didn't want Kushina's death on my conscience. Others I could live with. But, Kushina was someone I cared abo…

Wait!

The same night Kushina dies, doesn't Biwako die too.

My world spun and guilt gnawed at me as I sat down with heavy thoughts. Can I in good conscience look away from the death of my mother-figure and sister-figure? What kind of a man would that make me?

Oh, Kami! I need a drink!

 **(*****)**

Two weeks later, incoming shinobi brought news of the destruction of the Kanabi Bridge to the bunker and I promptly excused myself to go and vomit, while others celebrated the joyous news.

* * *

 **A/N: This was a short one and next one will be too. The war will be over in the next chapter. There will be some major plot twists that might surprise you. Also, I have seen people complaining about Hatorama's reluctance in messing with canon. But, I figured that it will pay off with what's happening in the next chapter.**

 **I also thought that it would be good to point out here that Hatorama was initially scared to mess with canon, but he is progressing slowly to entertain the idea. But, now he is powerless to stop it. It's a gradual progression that a character needs to undergo in my opinion. Some might think it is needless, but then everyone has their own opinions.**

 **Sit back, relax, and let the fic turn on its head in the next chapter.**


	28. Chapter 28 - The Twist Of Fate

**A/N: This chapter brings us to the end of War Arc. This chapter is bound to raise some conflicting views among the readers. But, I hope that you enjoy it.**

 **Also, stay safe and follow safety precautions.**

 **Alright, here comes the bomb.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28 – The Twist Of Fate**

* * *

As fate would have it, when the duration of deployment got over, I was ordered to extend my stay in the bunker again. There was no time mentioned. It was clear to everyone the war was winding down and they wanted all the best shinobi to be posted in the border just to make sure everything went well. Very few like Minato were actually called back.

After that letter from Kushina, I received no other letters. So, I was left to ponder by myself on whether the events in canon actually happened as they were depicted or something else had changed because of my presence. But, I doubted that I had changed something so pivotal in history.

Regardless, my stay in the bunker was extended indefinitely. Until all the nations came to an accord, I don't think any of us will be called back. If Fugaku received any news regarding the end of the war, he kept it to himself. I agreed with his secrecy, it wouldn't do to increase the hopes of people. Already some grumbles were beginning to emerge about how long they had to stay.

On a side note, I was made jounin towards the end of the war. Compared to my worry about what actually happened in Kanabi Bridge mission and the end of the war, my promotion didn't elicit much reaction. Not to mention my dread about the impending canon events.

My Bingo book fame and continued presence on the battlefield mandated that they hand me a promotion. And that is what they did. I was the second youngest Jounin after Kakashi. Shisui followed after me within a few weeks. Age-wise, I beat both of them.

But, no one complained. I had earned my promotion through blood and sweat on the battlefield. My kill count was even higher than many Jounins and that's saying something. But, after I was made Jounin, my kill count began to stagnate a lot.

Now that I had to fight Jounins on the field, things weren't that easy. One, I couldn't kill Jounins with mere Taijutsu. While I was good, my relative age made sure that I was always at a physical disadvantage when it came to engaging them in taijutsu.

That gave them enough time to create some distance and engage me in ninjutsu. As expected my ninjutsu skills weren't that polished to the point that I could kill them easily. Still, I managed to progress in my ninjutsu steadily.

For a while, I heavily favored using basic jutsus to escape and start engaging them in taijutsu. But, one day, an experience Jounin took me aside and pointed it out to me that what I was doing was idiotic. He also said to me to stop daydreaming about killing Jounins who are far more experienced than myself with my taijutsu and basic ninjutsu. I admit I had to agree with him.

Ever since then, I started to renew my focus on ninjutsu. I had abundant chakra reserves for someone of my age. And it helped me both during practice and on the actual battlefield. I started slowly by incorporating C rank and B rank water jutsus into my arsenal and then once I found a suitable rhythm I started using A rank techniques.

My progress in Water Release was so much so that I even invented a new Water Release technique based on **Rasengan**. While **Rasengan** would have been invented by Minato now, I haven't seen him use it yet. Considering that it wasn't famous yet, my new water jutsu impressed most of my peers.

How I came about it was totally an accident. One day I was practicing a B rank Water Release technique called **Ripping Torrent**. The idea of the B rank jutsu was to supply a torrent of water from one's palm to negate the enemy's jutsu. The constant spiral torrent that came out of my hand reminded me of the first stage of **Rasengan –** the rotation.

I used the idea as a base and tried to create a jutsu. The end result was a brand new A-rank jutsu which I named as **Whirlpool Cone.** The technique when used is a short-range one much like **Rasengan**. While **Rasengan** is pure chakra, mine was water natured chakra.

Formed like a cone, in which the water revolved around like a high-speed whirlpool, **Whirlpool Cone** drilled into a shinobi upon contact. My taijutsu which wasn't lethal to a Jounin until then became very deadly from that point.

The first time I tested it, it drilled through the entire arm of a Jounin causing shock to emerge all over the battlefield. From then on, my danger level increased more and more as I got proficient in using the technique.

As time passed, it was very clear that no one wanted to engage me in close quarters because of the existence of such a technique. I mean, who in their right mind would come near a person who could use a technique that could drill through your body.

But, all was not sunshine after that. One, I couldn't pull off that jutsu more than twice in a row. It was highly chakra intensive. When people began to understand this, they felt much more comfortable in engaging me.

Two, the jutsu was ineffective if I can't get close to the enemy. It was seriously limited by range just like **Chidori**. When combined, all one had to do was fight me in long-range and be capable of escaping it if I got close.

Which, incidentally, was the reason I was currently dodging lava spit out of a shinobi's mouth. The shinobi I was fighting currently was younger than others I had fought earlier. But, if anyone told me that being younger is an advantage I could capitalize on, I will kick them right in their balls.

She was far more dangerous than any other shinobi I had fought. Yes, it was a she. And the most irritating part is that she never allowed me to near her. Whenever I closed the gap, she will spit lava from her mouth to create distance between herself and me.

It was like fighting a freaking dragon, I say!

She made me run all over the battlefield. It was as if we were having a game of cat and mouse. And the most irritating part is that anyone could tell that she was the cat and I was the mouse. In the end, I resigned and tried to get past her to reach some other Jounin. But, the irritating she-devil wasn't allowing me any leeway to disengage. That resulted in me getting angry.

As a result, what followed was a long-range jutsu war which neither she nor I won. At the end of the day, I trudged back to the bunker only to receive strange looks from my comrades. When the others from my platoon returned and informed the remaining members of what happened, I didn't have the heart to go out.

That day, I decided that I would seek out the she-devil tomorrow and properly beat her into submission. But, something about her kept nagging me in the back of my mind.

 **(*****)**

It took me three encounters with her to finally figure out who the fuck she is. Her name is Terumi Mei – the fucking Fifth Mizukage. And rightfully so. She was a Grade A terror on the battlefield. Intelligence from Kiri revealed that she was usually kept inside the village as the last defense. But, my actions on the battlefield had warranted special attention and she was dispatched to take care of me.

And isn't that fucking wonderful!

The face Fugaku had when he revealed to me that she was dispatched to deal with me made me want to punch him right in the jaw. Ever since her arrival to the battlefield, my kill count became agonizingly slow. She was everywhere. Regardless of where I went, she was there to deter me. She didn't let me engage anyone else.

Few times I tried to give her the slip, but the wreckage she created was so much that I was personally ordered by Fugaku to keep her at bay. But, the most irritating part about battling with her was her revealing dress and voluptuous figure.

She was about five years older than me. Well into her late teens. Her figure was tantalizing and she used it well to her advantage. One time, I managed to get into close quarters with her, only for her present her breasts as a defense. Flustered, I was almost roasted before having to initiate a hasty retreat. Her trilling laughter that trailed me didn't do any help to my mood either.

Ever since then, she has taken to flirting with me on the battlefield. While it wouldn't affect me much normally, something about her seemed to affect me more than anyone else. Maybe it was the fact that I couldn't beat her. Maybe it was the fact that no one had tried to do so in my entire life here. Or maybe it was something else entirely.

In the end, it didn't matter.

All it mattered was that she was my own personal nightmare on the battlefield, whom by the way I can't escape from. On the bright side, fighting against her constantly made me polish my ninjutsu skills. I was now very proficient in my ninjutsu as much as my taijutsu.

For four whole months, the nightmare named as Terumi Mei lasted. Within that time, I had battled her more than a dozen times. And she was the only one who had fought me that I hadn't managed to kill until the end of the war.

Let's just say that I was glad when the war came to an end after six more months of extended stay.

 **(*****)**

One other thing that made so mad at Fugaku happened one month before the war came to an end. Everyone in the bunker knew that the war was winding down and it was on its last legs. The only thing everyone thought about now was to survive long enough to get out of this bunker.

Fugaku had returned from Konoha after doing a short stay away. No one begrudged him for that. He was one of the only few elite shinobi who had been a constant in the bunker ever since the war began. So, it was expected that he received a few perks like returning to Konoha once in a while, even when no one was allowed to go.

Seriously, Kiri would be mad to try to attack him on his way home. Even Kiri wasn't that stupid. But, what most of us didn't know was that he had brought someone along with him from his latest trip to Konoha – a four-year-old boy name Uchiha Itachi.

Not many had a clue as to his existence in the bunker. Only a very few shinobi were aware of his existence. Since most of them were Uchihas, none of the normal shinobi knew that the damned Uchihas had brought a kid into a warzone.

It had been a bad day for me. Mei had successfully managed to singe the right side of me during our battle. While I had got her back by cutting by drenching her entirely with a Water Dragon, the fact that it made her more tantalizing only aggravated me further.

Unbeknownst to all of us, a four-year-old kid watching the battlefield from a high vantage point. It was the last thing I expected to find when me and Mei decided to end our battle and retreat. And what got me was that the kid had somehow managed to reach the outskirts of the battle and was kneeling beside two Kiri chunnin, giving them water. The Uchiha clan crest embedded on his back was the only indication that the kid belonged to Konoha.

Knowing that nothing good was going to come out of this, I body flickered. Even as I did so, I found the Kiri bastards, injured as they were, were lunging at the kid. I somehow body flickered and bodychecked one of them making his aim miss. He flew past the kid and landed in a heap. Dreading what the other had done, I turned around to only find that the kid had killed him and Fugaku was standing beside him.

Noticing that the kid was safe, I approached the other chunnin who blanched after taking a look at me. I was mad. While I knew it was his instincts that retaliated to the kid, I wasn't going to forgive the bastard for attacking a damn kid. My eyes were already red.

I killed him with a **Whirlpool Cone** right to his face. The bastard was frozen still with fear after taking one look at me.

"Tou san, why did the shinobi try to kill me? I didn't do anything," the kid's innocent question shook me out of the rage I had.

 _Tou san_

And something snapped in me hearing those words.

"Because it is war. It is war between nations," Fugaku's simple reply only aggravated me further.

"Am I to believe that this is your kid Fugaku?" I asked trying to reign in my rage.

"Yes Senju," he replied looking at me at last.

"And, what the hell is he doing here?" I asked in a dangerously low voice.

"I brought him along so that he experiences what war is," he replied to me with a serious tone which confused me further.

"Why would he need to know that at this young age?" I asked at last.

"He needs to know. As the heir of Uchiha, he needs to know what war is."

And I attacked him. We didn't end up fighting a full-blown battle, but in the end, I made it clear as to what I thought about his actions. The kunai wound he had on his shoulders made my intentions very clear. The arrival of others made it impossible for us to continue, but when we disengaged I saw the kid looking at me curiously.

"Our ancestors sacrificed everything to make sure that children like him didn't get robbed of their innocence," I spat at Fugaku. "And what you did today was spitting in the face of those who made Konoha possible."

With that statement, I left the scene unmindful of the glowers that I was receiving from the entire Uchiha clan. My side was throbbing from the wound I had received from Fugaku in order to leave a mark on him. But, it didn't bother me as much as the fact that he had brought a kid to the warzone.

From that incident on, none of the Uchiha clan members spoke with me until we were all back home.

But, I didn't care much about that.

 **(*****)**

One month before the official end of the war was declared, the fighting entirely stopped. Everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before the war ended. But, the tensions were still high. The border patrol was still happening and we were all waiting for the declaration to come so that we can return home.

Two weeks before the declaration was made me, Fugaku and quite a few high ranking clan shinobi were ordered to return. We all knew that some form of meeting was to be held before the official declaration of war was announced. Especially, when me and Fugaku were called back everyone began to relax. After all, if there is a possibility of it restarting neither of us would have been called back.

The journey back home was peaceful, to say the least. While we were on guard for any enemy attacks, our journey progressed so smoothly that it didn't matter much. It was almost as if we were taking a stroll. Jumping through the trees in a relaxed manner was so novel and therapeutic that I decided that I would be doing this frequently.

So, when I reached the village gates I was far more calm and collected than I ever was. Maybe it had to do with the end of the war or it was something else, but overall I liked the feeling of traveling over the treetops not needing to be on guard always.

Even then, all my calm came crashing down as we entered the village gates. There was a huge crowd waiting for us to return. While there were numerous mutters of triumphant return and some such things that I didn't take heed of, the people waiting for our return was an entirely different thing.

Apart from me, every one who returned were all in high spirits. With tears flowing, happy reunions happening all around the place, I was sure that I stood out with the dumb look I was sporting ever since seeing the people who were greeting me.

I could hear joyous laughter, tear-filled prayers and thanks to Kami, and easy camaraderie all around me. I could feel Kushina and Biwako enveloping me in a tight hug. All their inquiries about my health fell on deaf ears as I stood there in shock staring at the one figure that wasn't supposed to be there.

 **Uchiha Obito stood there alongside Team Minato, which was whole, healthy and happy, welcoming me.**

 **(*****)**

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Danzo asked sipping a cup of tea.

I didn't pay him any attention. My attention was fixed on the mission report in front of me.

It had been a couple of hours since I entered the village. I had returned home amidst an army of well-wishers congratulating me on my survival and promotion once Kushina and Biwako were done hugging the stuffing out of me.

As I passed through the crowd in a daze trying very hard not to stare at either Rin, or Obito, or a Sharingan less Kakashi, I had to try very hard to not start questioning Team Minato of their Kanabi Bridge mission.

Once I had my thoughts straight after reaching home, I had immediately set out to find the only person who would help me with my bizarre request. While I could have gone to either Shikaku or Hiruzen, I very much doubted they would bend the rules to give me access to what I wanted.

And that left Danzo.

Strangely enough, he never questioned my strange request. Within moments, one of the Root agents was summoned and considering the lax in security, due to the celebratory mood present in Konoha, I received what I wanted with half an hour.

A copy of the Kanabi Bridge mission report.

I had waited until then exchanging pleasantries and talking about mundane stuff with Danzo. I think he knew that I was preoccupied with something else, so he didn't steer the conversation to any serious subjects.

And wasn't there a lot of serious subjects to talk about.

Anyways, as I scanned the mission report in my hand for any form of inconsistencies with the canon, I was very much surprised by what I found. The mission was very much identical to canon. Obito awoke his Sharingan. Rin got kidnapped. Obito and Kakashi went to rescue her from a group of Iwa ninja.

But, after that, things changed.

They rescued Rin without much hassle. There was no cave-in. There was no injured Obito – and he definitely didn't have half his body crushed. And there was no eye transplant.

They had met up with Minato and finished their mission admirably. Making Kakashi's first mission as a Jounin a resounding success, which even changed the tides of war. For anyone else, there wasn't any form of discrepancy with the report or how things had played out. But, for me, the canon had been truly and completely destroyed.

I let out a huge sigh. I don't know if it was from relief or disappointment.

"Hatorama," Danzo at last spoke, "I would very much appreciate an answer."

"It's nothing. I just wanted to see what happened during the mission that supposedly changed the tides of war," I lied smoothly.

"You could have asked it directly from the source," Danzo pointed out eyeing me critically. "As far as I know, you are very much in an amicable relationship with Team Minato."

I could have, but I wanted to know what happened without raising suspicion. Some of my questions would have raised eyebrows. Both Minato and Kakashi were smart. They would realize that something was not right.

"Our relationship has been strained since Minato's accident with Hirashin," I offered a plausible lie.

"Not strained enough to talk about missions," Danzo countered smoothly.

I didn't reply. I didn't have one. He had me there.

"So, are you going to tell me what this was all about?" Danzo asked trying and failing not to sound too curious.

I remained silent. He looked at me for a minute as I refused to meet his eyes.

"Fine, keep your secrets. As long as it doesn't harm the village, I won't pry," he huffed irritably. "So, what do you feel about it?"

"For a mission that changed the entire course of the war, it was relatively uneventful," I sighed shaking my head to clear any other thoughts that were sneaking in.

It was hard not to think about canon. As much as it sounded lame, it indeed was. It was like cancer taking root in my brain. Countless what-ifs were trying to sneak in and I felt like I need a drink more than anything now.

"I agree," Danzo nodded, "you would expect something spectacular to happen on a mission of this kind. But, then again, with the Yellow Flash present, it isn't a wonder that it turned out this way."

"I thought Kakashi was the leader," I snorted getting my thoughts together knowing that Danzo had a few other topics to discuss.

"He was, but anyone could tell that he wouldn't have completed the mission smoothly without the Yellow Flash's help," Danzo said dismissively making me raise my eyebrows. "Look at his decision-making skills. One, he got ambushed by a group of Iwa shinobi. Two, like a fool he let the Iwa shinobi capture his teammate. And the worst of all, he went back to rescue her without continuing the mission knowing how important it is. One would think he would have learned from the mistakes committed by his father."

"Everything turned out well in the end, isn't that right?" I countered knowing that Sakumo's actions were a point of contention between us. "Now, we didn't lose a medic who could be as talented as Tsunade."

Oh, this topic was touching on way too many points of contention for my comfort.

I saw Danzo's lips twitch as I referred Tsunade. But, strangely enough, he didn't comment on that.

"What if things had taken a turn for the worse?" he asked after a few moments.

"We can't predict how things happen on the battlefield. What if the Iwa shinobi tortured the captive and made her reveal about the plan. It would have it a lot more harder to accomplish the goals of the mission. As a leader of the team, Kakashi needed to make a call at that juncture. And he did and it worked out well. I am sure he had his reasons for that. I trust his judgment."

Danzo didn't reply for a while. We both stared at each other for some time.

"Kakashi's success with the mission has boosted the reputation of Yellow Flash. Unlike yours, his name sends fear through entire Iwa. He is one of the most likely candidates to succeed Hiruzen," Danzo said, at last, shining the light on the elephant in the room.

"I thought Orochimaru was being groomed as his successor," I said taking a neutral stance.

"Orochimaru would have succeeded, if not for the foolish actions of Hiruzen. Now more than half the shinobi population is discontent with how he had handled the end of the war," Danzo growled.

"And it includes you," I stated simply.

"His actions were soft. It would show us in a weaker light," Danzo spoke with conviction.

"That means, you wouldn't be supporting Orochimaru," I said narrowing my eyes.

This was news. A very interesting piece of news. Danzo and Hiruzen were Orochimaru's biggest backers. If one of them is backing out, that would severely damage Orochimaru's chances.

"I am not a fool to go against half the shinobi population of Konoha."

But, what did Danzo get out of this? That's the most important question. Danzo was no stranger to taking controversial stances. He was neither a fool to not see how much advantage he would have with Orochimaru on the seat. Orochimaru would sanction a lot of things Minato wouldn't. He should know that.

But, I knew Danzo far better than anyone else. After all, he was the one to teach me how to navigate political minefields. He never did a thing without proper benefits. So, what kind of benefits would he be able to attain by keeping Orochimaru away from the hat? What could possibly outweigh the numerous restrictions Minato would surely impose on him?

My mind whirled as I considered the implications of Danzo's statement and I had to admit there were numerous possibilities. The major thing being his jealousy of Hiruzen. Not many could notice it, but after spending a lot of time with Danzo, I would be a fool to not notice it. He masked it dislike and critics of Hiruzen's actions, but deep down he was jealous that my grandfather gave the hat to Hiruzen and not him.

Apart from that, I think he knew he wouldn't be able to control Orochimaru as much as he did with Hiruzen. Orochimaru was too smart. Minato, for all his brilliance, was too naïve when it came to dealing with the backstabbing political world. Danzo would bide his time and lull Minato into false security before making his play. And it would involve a vengeful Orochimaru.

I tried hard not to show the dread that was pooling around in my stomach. If canon hadn't been dead, it wouldn't make much difference as Orochimaru would be caught soon and he would be branded a traitor. But, I wasn't willing to bet on canon anymore.

Obito was alive. Kakashi had no Sharingan. Rin was alive. That changed a lot of things. Lots of pressure points for Danzo to use against Minato. Who knows if even Orochimaru will be caught? An Orochimaru who had full access to specimens and all the technology Konoha had to offer was a scary thought. He wouldn't even need to hide around. This was truly turning into a nightmare.

"So, who are you voting for?" I asked calmly knowing that I had a lot to think upon.

"I am abstaining. As much as I want to vote for Minato, I don't want to sever my relationship with Orochimaru," he said smoothly.

Translation – he didn't want Orochimaru as his enemy.

"I see," I nodded as if I understood his reasons.

"The question will be, who will you vote for? Will you vote for Orochimaru, who is like a son to Hiruzen, or will you vote for Minato, the husband of Kushina?"

Oh, Kami! This is getting hard. When things boiled down to the basic, the question was who am I siding with. Kushina or Hiruzen. No matter how many arguments I put forth, the outside world would only look at things that way.

"And don't forget, Minato is considered as the champion of civilians," Danzo added watching me with interest.

Crap! That makes things even more harder. Orochimaru, even if he is not from a clan, has the backing of Hokage. From the civilian's point of view, Orochimaru is the chosen of the shinobi and Minato is the chosen of the commoners. No wonder, Danzo is staying out of this cesspool.

"I suggest, you too abstain from casting your vote," Danzo said, at last, seeing that I had at the least understood the implications of what my actions could suggest.

As a Senju, my vote, in particular, had a special meaning. I don't represent just my thoughts; I represent the clan that has founded this village. Hence, my measly vote had a lot of political implications. People, who still worshipped Hashirama, would take my vote far too seriously.

If I voted for Orochimaru, it would mean that I supported Hiruzen's actions. A lot of shinobi are discontent with him. It might even give rise to some conspiracy theories that only those who were related to previous Hokages or their students will be ever made Hokage. And that would aggravate more than half of the Shinobi population. Not to mention going against popular civilian sentiments.

If I voted for Minato, it would mean that I disapprove of Hiruzen's actions so much that I voted against him. While it could garner me support from civilians and shinobi alike, the problem was I had zero disagreements with how Hiruzen went for peace instead of extending the war, even when he had the upper hand. It would be a complete betrayal of the ideals Senju Hashirama founded this village on.

Either way, my vote had a lot of implications either politically or personally. This wasn't just about Orochimaru or Minato. This was far bigger.

"I need to think about this," I said calmly raising from my seat and taking my leave, leaving my unfinished cup of tea on the table.

Oh, Kami! I seriously needed a drink!

 **(*****)**

"The clan meeting pertaining to the election of Hokage is in two days," Hiruzen said that night at dinner.

I simply nodded not giving any indication as to who I preferred.

"While I had trained Orochimaru as my successor, it is customary to have an opposition. After the clan leaders cast their vote, the election will move on to the civilian council," Hiruzen elaborated the process to me.

"And who is Orochimaru san's opposition," Asuma asked eagerly not reading the mood of the room.

Biwako tensed from where she was sitting. Hiruzen exchanged a look with sullen-looking Orochimaru, but neither replied.

"Minato," I said simply as I partook my food.

"Cool," Asuma said happily causing Hiruzen to look away and Orochimaru to grumble under his breath.

"Is Jiraya dropping in for the meeting?" I asked curiously wanting to know the answer.

"That irresponsible fool had sent a letter stating that he had some important matter to attend to," Biwako grumbled in disapproval.

"Lucky bastard," I muttered causing Biwako to tut at my language.

Hiruzen and Orochimaru nodded getting my implication. The silence prevailed for a while. Even Asuma began to get there were many undercurrents flowing under the simple conversation. I think Biwako not chastising me for my language might have clued him in.

"I think, I am done," Asuma said after a while and left the room as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, I didn't have such a luxury. So, I concentrated on my food.

"I am done too," Biwako said rising, "I will clean up after you three are done."

That left me in the uncomfortable company of Hiruzen and Orochimaru. None of us spoke, opting to concentrate on the meal in front of us. After some time, Hiruzen let out a huge sigh.

"I think you should know that the Senju clan, being the founders, are given the right to cast the first vote in the clan meeting," Hiruzen informed me massaging his temple.

"Brilliant," I said sarcastically. "Just what I needed."

Hiruzen looked torn between chastising me and offering me comfort. Orochimaru, at last, had a slight smile on his face.

"I just feel like running off to Kiri and finding that She-devil for another fight. Even that is preferable to this," I said, at last, letting my frustration show.

"Ah, I heard about that. Is it true that she was flirting with you on the battlefield?" Orochimaru asked mirth dancing across his eyes.

"Oh, Kami! Does everyone in Konoha know about that?" I asked in exasperation.

"Look Hatorama, I know I shouldn't do this. I know you get along with Minato well compared to Orochimaru. But, your vote mea…"

I raised my hand to stop Hiruzen from speaking further. It hurt me to know that Hiruzen was so vulnerable. My vote meant a lot more to him than anyone else's. It wasn't about Orochimaru making Hokage. My vote was validation from his sensei for his decisions. And it was the most important thing for him.

"I spoke with Danzo in the afternoon," I said as a form of explanation. "For what it is worth, I don't think you did anything wrong. And thank you a lot for ending this war sooner."

I said looking at him straight in the eye.

Hiruzen slumped. Relief clearly etched across his face.

"Thank you," he said after a while, "it meant more to me than you could imagine. I don't think I could eat any further."

There was a content smile in his face as he stood up and walked away from the room leaving me and Orochimaru alone. Orochimaru was watching Hiruzen leave not minding me in the slightest. I contemplated leaving without saying anything to him. But, something stopped me.

"Your answer has put his heart at rest," Orochimaru stated and strangely enough I could see his concern for Hiruzen clearly.

I sat there not knowing what to say.

"People are sheep. Swayed by the opinions of masses. You think I don't know that I don't have a chance of defeating Minato," Orochimaru asked with a strange smile. "I know far too well that commoners couldn't understand greatness."

I watched Orochimaru for a second, before nodding. A relieved sigh escaped me. Maybe, this Orochimaru might turn out different from the one in canon. All my conjectures towards him were because of canon. He had done nothing to warrant my ever-present suspicion and paranoia. Even my thoughts about him experimenting were based on canon. What if this world was truly different from the one in canon?

After all, I shouldn't exist. Obito should be presumed dead. Kakashi should have an implanted Sharingan. Rin should be dead. There were so many pivotal changes. Maybe Orochimaru could turn out to be different.

"Be careful," I said at last, "there is a web being spun around you, Orochimaru san."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. He took in my statement and pondered over it. In the end, he merely nodded to me.

"Have you thought about your conundrum?" Orochimaru asked me, his curiosity clear over his face.

"I still searching for a way to escape from this shit storm unscathed," I grumbled causing Orochimaru to chuckle.

For the first time, his chuckle didn't elicit any bad feelings in me.

 **(*****)**

The next day found me having lunch in Kushina's apartment. The newlyweds were being far too cozy with each other for my comfort, but I was happy to see Kushina being so joyous.

"So, I heard you are one of the candidates for Hokage, sensei," Rin spoke far too sweetly for it to be an innocent statement.

I groaned inwardly knowing Rin had taken it upon herself to probe my stance. If Minato's blink and Kakashi's stiff posture was any indication, they had no idea about it. However, it was hard not to note that Kushina was currently very alert and looking at me like a shark that smelled blood.

"Yes," Minato replied very carefully clearly afraid where this conversation might go.

"And, I heard that all clan heads would meet to vote on who it is," Rin said shooting me a sweet smile.

"Oh, then isn't the Senju baka a clan head?" Obito piped up catching Rin's intentions.

"Yes, Hato kun is the clan head of the Senju clan," Kushina smiled so sharply that I felt like performing a body flicker that very moment.

"Kushina!" Minato's stern voice echoed in the room as he stared at her disapprovingly.

"Shush," Kushina waved him to be silent and leaned in eagerly, "tell me Hato kun, you are going to vote for my husband right? You don't want to disappoint your nee san, do you?"

While Hiruzen was above such tactics, Kushina was definitely not. And from the looks of it, neither were Rin and Obito.

"I think, I should leave," I said standing up and preparing to leave.

"Hatorama, sit," Minato said sending a disapproving look at both Kushina and Rin. "You don't need to answer her."

Kushina pouted; but remained silent. Rin sent me a stinkeye. Kakashi acted as if he didn't hear the conversation at all.

"So, that means you won't vote for sensei, huh?" Obito, the blabbermouth, spoke angrily.

The next moment I was out of the house with a body flicker. If Obito was going to receive any punishment, I wasn't there to see. Frankly, everything was a mess. I can hardly interact with anyone before conversation at last moving towards my vote. Every-fucking-body was interested in my vote.

Oh, Kami! I need a drink!

One that knocks me out completely. Preferably, for the next two weeks.

(*****)

With the entire village bugging me about my vote, I decided to leave the village entirely. Remembering the calm and content feeling I had as I traveled back from the bunker, I picked a random direction and began moving unmindful of any of the issues plaguing me.

I traveled for what felt like hours. Even though I had calmed down by now, no longer getting irritated by anything that moved, I knew that I was only postponing the problem. It was almost night by now, so I decided to find the nearest village and have a stay. I knew I had to return back tomorrow. As tempting as it was, I couldn't shrink my duties and escape the voting that was being held the day after tomorrow.

Before that, I had to prepare a plan. No matter who I voted for, it seemed like I will be compromising things either politically or ideologically. But, I wanted to do neither. As the time neared, Danzo's option was sounding way and way more better. But, it felt like a coward's route – not that I had any other option if I have to be realistic about it.

While Danzo's reasons for abstaining from voting were neither pure nor ideological, I knew his motivations were all about maintaining his power base and connections. On the other hand, I had a conundrum on my hands. The ideal move would be to vote for Minato and get on the good side of most of Konoha. That is the most politically savvy move.

But, the problem is that I would be condemning Hiruzen for his actions publically if I did that. While we had talked it out, I was not sure how much it would affect him personally if I voted for Minato. The sheer relief he expressed when I said I was thankful for his actions spoke volumes. What would Biwako think about me after that?

Thus, I was stuck.

Rubbing my temple, I roved my eyes at the village I had found myself in. I remembered passing through it while doing some C-rank courier runs. I sighed looking around to see if there was anything I could occupy myself with here. But, to my disappointment, the war had hit the villages hard and only a few shops were open.

One in particular, looked very inviting.

I licked my lips and decided that it was time that I did something very irresponsible for once and walked into the bar and ordered sake.

The bar owner, who was nearly in his seventies, squinted his eyes at me taking in my eleven-year-old self. His eyes roved, finally settling on my hitaite and letting out a huff.

 _"Fucking ninjas, even pipsqueaks like him drink. What's wrong with this world?"_ he muttered and walked to fetch me my sake.

I stood there watching him with surprise. It was like someone had sucker-punched me. I still couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was like a dream.

 _"Too true, in our world eleven is basically too young to drink,"_ I said in lament as he handed me the sake.

 _"Tell me, fucking Narutoverse!"_ the bar owner said absentmindedly before stopping stock still.

His head whipped towards me and met my eyes. Surprise was clear in both our eyes, as we both eyed each other warily.

For, the language he spoke was neither native to Elemental Nations nor one that I have heard in my life here.

And him saying Narutoverse only confirmed my suspicions.

After all, Naruto hasn't been born yet.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that's it. Hope you guys enjoyed the multiple twists in this chapter (in a good way, I hope). Also, I have the next series of chapters already planned out. But, I am not sure I will be updating again soon. So, leave your thoughts in the comments. If anything is valid enough and seems possible to include in the story, I will try my best.**


	29. Chapter 29 - Blast From The Past

**A/N: I hope all of you are safe and are following the safety precautions. I certainly thought that this chapter would take a while, but things sort of kept coming out. So, here it is. Yet, another chapter.**

 **I did note that many of you were keen on Hato's interactions with Mei. I haven't decided on any pairing as of now, but I will keep the option open. It sure looks like it has potential.**

 **Hopefully, this chapter gives you all a deeper understanding of Hatorama as a character. Some might resent him for it, some might understand where he is coming from, but regardless that's how Hato's mind works and his decisions will be based on that.**

* * *

 **Chapter 29 – Blast From The Past**

* * *

"So, where are we in the timeline?" Kenpachi asked sipping his drink.

Kenpachi was in his seventies. He resided in a village that is a couple of hours away from Konoha. It was neither too near to any borders nor too near to Konoha. When questioned, he admitted he shifted to this village pretty much for that reason. He didn't want to be too near to Konoha because he preferred to stay away from the veritable shit storm of canon events that he knew would happen. Likewise, he preferred to be in Fire Country as Konoha is comparatively better than other villages. So, he found an ideal place and set up shop.

The moment we both understood the similarity between us, he walked out and closed his shop. If he was bothered by the customers he had to send away, he didn't show it at all. Once done, he had brought out his best sake and we both occupied a table as we began talking. Well, it was more like me venting to him. Gotta say the man was a good listener.

"If you didn't notice," I raised my eyebrows to express my skepticism, "there was a fucking war going on."

"I did notice," he said amicably, "but what I wanted to ask was in which stage it is actually in."

"Third Shinobi War will end in two weeks. The official declaration should be out by then," I answered taking a sip myself.

"Ah, I did hear some rumors. You know, it is hard to come by these kinds of information as a civilian. And these rumors were running around for over two months now. Not sure what to believe," he said nodding his head.

"I understand."

"So, Minato has been made Yondaime yet?"

"He will be, by the end of this week. The election is coming up. I need to be there by day after tomorrow for that," I said.

"That would mean, Kyubi attack next," he said somberly.

"I wish," I snorted causing him to look up, "the canon is dead now."

"What do you mean?"

"I returned yesterday from Kiri border to find Obito standing in the village. Neither he or Rin is dead. Oh, and also, Kakashi doesn't have the Sharingan."

"What!?"

"Tell me, I think you are the only one who understands what is running through my mind now," I grumbled taking another sip of the drink.

"Kakashi without Sharingan, hard to imagine."

We stayed in silence for a long time.

"So," he began after a while, "what do you think happened?"

"Don't know," I grumbled. "And that's bothering me more than I want to admit."

"You mean, you didn't change anything."

"I tried to stay away from canon as much as possible. But, it is hard considering how I am related to two previous Hokages. I am also the ward of current Hokage and Danzo is my mentor. Kushina is my fuinjutsu teacher to boot."

"Oh, my, that's a lot of connections to canon for someone who wanted to stay away. You should have taken my route. Find a nearby village, open a bar and settle down. It is better to stay as a civilian than to be included in all the clusterfuck."

"Didn't have the option. Remember my last name, Senju! Not many options. To boot it I am the grandson of Tobirama,"

"Tobirama actually married?"

"Hard to believe, right? But, I am the living proof of it."

"So, what's this about being mentored by Danzo. You didn't get into Root, did you? I thought you would have been safe, considering…."

"Nah, the bastard thinks I am like Tobirama, his sensei. So, he has taken a special interest in my education,"

"My, my," he chuckled, "that's hilarious."

"More like bloody irritating. He taught etiquette when I was fucking two," I grumbled.

"So, you didn't change anything?"

"I tried not to," I said grimacing. "Frankly, I was scared of changing it and letting go of the advantage of knowing what the future holds. Thought would play god after ensuring that I survived this war. But, by now, everything is changed. I mean, I could deal with all the other things. But, Obito standing in front of me hale and healthy is one hell of a sucker punch."

Kenpachi laughed out aloud making me smile.

"So, what's your relationship with Kushina?"

"She is like my adoptive sister. Ever since I let her know that I know of her furry little problem and didn't mind, she had become very close to me."

"Even then, you didn't try to change anything?"

I looked away from him not wanting to admit that I didn't think about it. After a while, I looked back to see him staring at me. He was not judgmental like I had expected. He was only curious.

"You know, it never crossed my mind," I said taking a long sip and draining the cup, "When I was young, I used to spend a lot of time with her. But, never once I thought about changing anything. I think, at first it was denial on my part. I didn't expect to get so close to her or get attached. Then, I tried to deny that I was attached to her. But, somewhere along the line, I began to think that I had time till the end of the war came to do something about it. I admit, I wasn't what you would call an upstanding citizen, even in the Before."

Kenpachi merely waited without urging me further. I was grateful for that.

"Then, the war came. I graduated knowing that I will be sent to the frontline sooner or later. All because I was a fucking Senju. You know, it kind of twists your priorities. Then, it was all about surviving till then. I admit, I was selfish. I mean, I didn't want to change something if I wasn't going to live long enough to enjoy the benefits of doing so."

I looked down not able to meet his eyes, afraid about what emotions there would be.

"Then I was sent to the frontlines. When you are there, your whole world changes. The days sort of blur together and all you can think about is training. Because, one misstep will lead you to your death. You don't have time to think of others, it became all about surviving each day."

"Then, when the news came about Kanabi Bridge mission, it really took me by surprise. War was almost over, and canon was beginning. According to me, everything began with Kanabi Bridge, so I had put things off until then. But, suddenly it was there and I know it will lead to Kushina's death. And the worst part was I was in Kiri border. I couldn't do anything about it."

Kenpachi patted my hands which were shaking on the table.

"When I returned from the frontlines, I was thinking about how to prevent the Kyubi attack. But, then life has to throw another curveball. I mean, Obito was fucking standing there. All was fine with him. Even Team Minato. They were all whole and some part of me couldn't accept that at all."

"It has been a whirlwind of emotions, I tell you," I said at last meeting his eyes.

Kenpachi nodded in understanding.

"So, what are you going to do now?" he asked calmly.

"No idea, I mean the immediate concern is the Hokage election. But, even that is giving me a headache. I can't vote for Orochimaru, because it will give be like giving food for conspiracy theorists. If I vote for Minato, it would mean that I am judging Hiruzen for his peace-making actions. At this rate, all I could do is to follow Danzo's advice and abstain from casting my vote."

"Don't give up easily, try to find any loopholes. I am sure you will do fine."

"Thanks, but I very much doubt it. If Danzo can't find loopholes, I not sure I can."

"True, true," Kenpachi laughed. "He is one sneaky bastard isn't he?"

"You are telling me," I snorted. "He is throwing Orochimaru to the wolves to stay on the good side of the majority of the shinobi and civilians. I don't want to do something like that. I mean, Orochimaru for all his faults has been good to me. In this situation, all I could do was warning him that a web is being spun around him."

"You warned Orochimaru?" he asked raising his eyebrows.

"Hey, don't judge me. I don't know if anything is real anymore. I mean, Obito should have been crushed under the cave in. But, no such thing happened. What if this was not the same world we read about? I mean, it wouldn't do any harm to let him know. Who knows, he might even turn out to be a good guy?"

"As if," Kenpachi snorted and I merely raised my arms in defense. "For fuck's sake, he experimented on children."

"That is what we saw," I countered. "But, now that canon is dead what proof do we have to say that everything is going to be the same."

"You make a valid point," he nodded, "but, almost all the characters are the same. And there are three shinobi wars. And Kanabi Bridge was indeed the turning point."

"I agree," I nodded. "But, to be frank, I am tired of being afraid of canon. I want to do things on my own terms now. You know, I even let off Zabuza after the fucker hunted me down to kill me. All because, I was afraid of disturbing canon."

"But now since canon is already dead, you don't want to think about it anymore."

"Yup,"

"That's a dangerous thought you are having. What if you did something irrevocably bad and it changed the ending? I mean, in the end, things did end well."

I stayed silent for a while thinking.

"I think I am gonna stay with my decision. I am tired of tiptoeing around things."

"Well, then alright," he said shrugging his shoulders.

"What? That's it. You are not going to talk till I change my mind?"

"Hey, look at me. I am already crossing the seventies. I don't even know if I will be alive during the next war. So, it hardly matters to me. Even then, I mean, I was here before you. But, I chose to stay away from all the shit to lead a peaceful life. If I find fault with your decision, then I would be a hypocrite. Do whatever you want, if things turn bad, make sure you try to right them as much as possible."

"You know, that's a healthy way of living your life," I said smiling.

"You learn to see things differently after living a long life. I am crossing seventies here, I lived for about eighty years before. So, after living over a century and a half, your outlook on life changes."

I merely nodded taking in his pearls of wisdom.

"Enough, depressing stuff, tell me something interesting," he said leaning in eagerly forward.

I smirked and pulled out three bingo books and passed them to him. Kenpachi looked at me in confusion before leafing through one of them. In the end, as expected, he found my name.

"Red Eyed Devil of Konoha," he asked skeptically.

"Tell me," I snorted, "the Kiri bastards are terrible in naming."

"And Kill on Sight for Jounin, with Flee on Sight for chunin and below," he looked bemused.

"Well, this one is outdated. I am not sure what they have for me now. After that She-Devil came to the battlefield, I have been forced to fend her off every time a battle starts," I muttered a little irritated thinking about her.

"She-Devil? Who's that?"

"The fucking Godaimae Mizukage," I spat.

"That would be…." he searched his memory for a while before finding it, "Mei, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded glumly.

"My my, she did have a terrific figure," he smirked wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"She is in her late teens, and I am in yet to become a teenager. Get your mind of the gutter," I scowled.

"In this life," he said sweetly.

"Please, can we not just talk about her," I moaned.

"Fine, fine, well, I gotta say, it is impressive that you are already a Jounin and on three bingo books before even becoming a teenager. Be careful, or else that zombie might come searching for you,"

"You mean, Kakuzu," I asked knowing I was right.

"The very same one, so try to keep a low profile in the upcoming years," he advised.

"I will try,"

"So, you are Senju, that means you must be related to Tsunade?"

"Yes, cousins,"

"Is she…"

"No, she left. Can't fault her. I mean, I am the living reminder of everything she had lost. And she has to see me be trained to participate in any other war that was going to occur. It is better this way, she wouldn't love someone only to lose them again."

"I agree, it's better to be distant. Poor sod. Anyway, now that the war's over and you know that nothing is going to happen for the next decade or so, are you going to meet her?"

I didn't reply. To be honest, I didn't know what to do. While I loved my cousin unconditionally and beyond all rational reasons, the thought of seeing her wasn't something that I easily entertained. While I had wished that she would visit Konoha to see me and even understood her when she didn't come, her reluctance to see me did hurt a bit.

"Don't know, I guess I will wait for her to come back to the village,"

"That's a long time. You know what issues she has, and I am sure you aren't willing to reach out. But, trust me. It would do you a lot of good to reach out and mend this gap. Who knows, her early return to Konoha might even save a lot of lives. Just, think about it."

I nodded knowing full well thinking about my non-existent relationship with Tsunade was the last thing I wanted to do now. If his skeptical look was any indication, I knew he too knew that.

"Once again, we are back to heavy topics," he sighed, "now, tell me about chakra. Is it as magical as we have read?"

I outright laughed at his statement, "that and more."

When he looked eager, I merely said "Watch."

I pulled on my chakra and suddenly an elementary form of my **Whirlpool Cone** appeared in my hands. He looked at with fascination and moved his fingers to poke it like a curious child.

"Don't," I said sharply bringing him to a stop. "Jeez, that's a A-rank assassination jutsu I developed. Don't go poking around it. It might shread your fingers off."

"Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly. "You know, ninja never performed them in front of civilians. If they did, it will only Shunshin and stuff. A real jutsu is hard to see."

"I understand your curiosity," I said nodding, "maybe, I should show you something non-lethal."

"No, no, disperse it," he waved his hands and I dispersed the jutsu. "Tell me, how does it feel?"

I sat there contemplating how best to explain it to him. After all, he didn't want to talk about chakra theory or something technical. He was asking about the feeling I had when I used them. That was something I haven't consciously thought about in years. Maybe, I had thought about it when I discovered and unlocked my chakra. But, once I became proficient, it became second nature. Sort of like moving my limbs. So, I hadn't paid any special attention to the feeling of chakra.

"It's like blood. It flows through your body. But, unlike blood, you can actually feel it and manipulate it with your mind. The feeling, however, I think it differs from one person to another. I think it's basically about their chakra nature. Mine is water, hence I feel like they are gentle drizzle or feeling your leg in a stream. I guess fire will be like a warm, cozy fireplace,"

"Then I guess, lightning will be like being high on something?" he smirked.

"We can only guess," I shrugged my shoulders, "I can try to help you but you are way past that age. If you hadn't awoken your chakra by adulthood, then you will never do. I think the last possible stage is puberty. After that, you either have it or not."

"I see," he said nodding. "Anyways, I wouldn't want even if you could. I have lived both my lives as an ordinary man, and I prefer it that way."

"Why be so ordinary when you can be better?"

"Why try to survive when you can play god?" he countered.

"Too much hassle."

We both said at the same time and smiled.

"I mean, chakra is all cool and well. But, once you have it you have to become a shinobi. Even I understand how dangerous it is for the Hidden villages to let a civilian walk around with chakra. Too many chances of something going wrong. And being shinobi is not my cup of tea. I am not sure I can handle all the stress and killing."

I nodded understanding his point of view. A civilian with chakra is a potential threat to any village. They will hunt him down like a rabid dog.

"I don't mean to pry, but, I am curious. How do you handle it? All that killing and stuff. I can't wrap my head around it,"

"Well, I wasn't what you would call a… morally upstanding citizen even in my past life. So, I guess I got used to it. The first few times were hard. But, after that, it became sort of a routine. And when I was sent to the frontlines, it was either kill or be killed. I didn't earn my name in the bingo book for nothing. I have done some pretty dastardly deeds. If it is in our old world, I would be termed as a mass murderer. But here, it is common. It is the shinobi way. To kill for your village and protect it at any cost."

"I never figured you to buy into the propaganda," he said gravely.

"I try to keep an open mind, but it is hard not to. They literally brainwash you from childhood. Even when you know it is happening and what they are doing, you can't help but be affected by it a little." I said grimacing. "And being tutored by Danzo, it will be a miracle if I don't start seeing enemies everywhere," I snorted.

"Ah, still, its kind of hard to believe," he said shuddering.

"It's the life we chose. You have yours, I have mine," I said looking away.

"True, true, to each his own."

Kenpachi nodded sagely pouring another cup of sake for both of us. By now, neither of us was sure what round it was.

"So, I am sure you would have some at least a few fond memories to share," Kenpachi spoke taking a sip from his own cup.

"Well, I don't have many light-hearted memories, I am sure that is what you meant, but I do have some that might make you laugh," I said thinking about Harami's antics.

"Oh, do tell," he asked eagerly.

"You remember Naras right?"

"Ah, those lazy geniuses," he replied nodding.

"I might have encroached on their territory a little during my academy days," I said with fond remembrance.

Seeing his eagerness, I went on to tell how initially the academy had irritated me and in return, how I had irritated my senseis. When I talked about pulling a Kakashi on the homeroom sensei, Kenpachi guffawed understanding the irony. I also told him about how the Naras in my year had been pissed with my tardiness. When I finished recounting my rivalry with Harami, Kenpachi admitted that he was eager to meet with her.

Then, the topic moved on to my graduation and eventually to my team. Kenpachi was really bummed out to hear that I didn't have some awesome sensei like Kakashi in the series. When I explained how things turned out in the end, he seemed sympathetic to my plight.

"And you didn't bother to even think that your sensei didn't like you?" Kenpachi asked after a while.

"To be honest, it never occurred to me. I mean, all the senseis we saw in the series were always supportive of their students and looked out for their development. Even what little I know of other senseis in my life here was the same. In that way, Tsuki was an oddball."

"I mean, I can understand wariness, even dislike. But, I never suspected him of actively sabotaging my training. I have never seen, heard, or remembered any sensei doing that. So, my mind never bothered to even think of such a possibility."

"I mean, rationally, having me strong would only motivate Fujita and Roku to be stronger. It would increase our chances of survival."

"But, people never act rationally," he commented softly.

"Well, shinobis should," I grumbled.

"Then, what about you? You admitted that you have made some emotional decisions that no sane shinobi should do. A rational response is to try to help people with your foreknowledge, but you didn't do that, did you? You let your fear of change take control of you and acted according to that. Provided, nothing bad had happened due to that yet, you can't deny that there was a possibility."

I remained silent digesting his words.

"So," I asked in the end, "what do you want me to do? Forgive that bastard?" I spat trying not to revolt at that idea.

"Heavens! No, I don't think Tsuki earned your forgiveness. I didn't mean it that way either. I merely pointed out how Tsuki's and your actions are both driven by emotional aspects."

I scowled not liking the idea of having any kind of similarity between me and Tsuki.

"Look, take this as an example and learn from it. In the future, try to be more realistic in your actions and not be ruled by your fear. I don't know if this is the same world as Narutoverse. Sure it looks eerily similar, the people are the same, the events and many others too. But, understand this, you are alive. You are a living and breathing person like anyone else in this world. You have your emotions, your goals, and other things. So, stop living like you are in a game and try to be more proactive. After all, like all the others, you too have your right to live your life as you wanted."

I smiled wanly at him, "If only things were that simple," I muttered massaging my brows.

"Nothing worthwhile is simple, my friend," he patted me in consolation.

I nodded sipping my sake, deep in thought.

 **(*****)**

"Oi Senju baka!" Harami strutted into my room lazily like a typical Nara, to find me seriously in work amidst the pile of dangerously stacked papers.

"Even the village is not at war, you seem awfully busy," she tutted making me look up from my work and give her a scowl.

Once I had vented out my frustrations to Kenpachi, we both drank well into the night. We exchanged stories of our lives (current and past) and talked until it was dawn. When the next day broke, I left him to his rest and made my way back to the village reluctantly.

Even though I didn't want to take part in the mess that was waiting for me, I had no other option other than to return. Even Kenpachi seemed stumped at my predicament and had no advice to offer. Even when he couldn't help me out, his sympathy was well-accepted.

However, the moment I entered the village I realized the world hasn't been still since I left the village. Strangely enough, there were countless whispers regarding how there was a conspiracy at a higher level to keep power within a particular circle and not let it go. Mostly it was among civilians who had no idea of what was truly happening and were witless enough to talk about it in hushed whispers amidst passing shinobi – as if that would help.

But, there were a few grumblings among shinobi too. And that was what worried me. There were a lot of veiled attempts at extracting information that were directed towards me, which clued me to realize that there was some concern among shinobi too. By no means were they outright and obvious. But, after dealing with Danzo, these attempts seemed very pitiful.

I carefully sidestepped all the inquiries and made my way home. Since then, I have been cooped up in my room going through all the documents leading up to formation of the village, in regards to the election of a Hokage. What I was diligently searching for was a loophole. Anything Danzo might have missed that could help me.

But, until now there was no luck at all.

"Well, unlike you, I am not that free Harami. I do have to take care of some stuff."

"Ah, fine, be that way. I wanted to ask if you want to go grab some dango with me," she pouted adorably making me grumble.

"I have work Harami. I need to do this, otherwise, I am screwed tomorrow." I said sternly.

She looked startled for a moment before looking at the pile of paperwork encasing me.

"Is it related to tomorrow's election?" she asked curiously.

"Yes," I grumbled not taking my eye off the paper in front of me.

"Why are you breaking your head? It's simple you either vote for Orochimaru san or Minato san," Harami spoke with confusion clear across his face.

"It's not that…."

"Oi Senju Baka! Tell me you are voting for my shishou," Anko rushed into the room demanding an answer.

I merely rose my eyebrow at her demand. Harami looked shocked for a second with Anko's abrupt entry and demand.

"Sssh, Anko! You can't tell him to whom he should vote for," Harami barked at Anko, which Anko promptly ignored in favor of glowering at me.

I eyed both of them and promptly decided that I will not have any peace with both of these banshees in my room. Keeping my paper down, I rose carefully from the mess, taking care not to bump into any of the stacks of paperwork, and walked out of my self-created fortress which seemed ready to fall at any moment.

"Are you?" Anko demanded, daring me to say no.

"Anko," I sighed massaging my brows. "It isn't that simple."

"So, you are not?" Anko's eyes narrowed.

"Anko! You can't force him," Harami swatted Anko's shoulders causing her attention to shift.

Anko growled but looked away from both of us petulantly.

"I haven't decided yet," I said letting out a huge sigh. "This is creating a headache. I honestly prefer being in the frontlines to dealing with this shit."

Neither Harami or Anko spoke. Anko was still sulking angrily. Harami, at last, seemed to get a vague impression of how difficult my job was.

"What's there to decide? Shishou's the best," Anko mumbled at last.

"Sure, to you," Harami muttered causing Anko to turn towards her angrily. "I honestly prefer Minato san. Orochimaru san is scary."

"You are just a scaredy-cat. Shishou is more powerful than Minato san,"

"Power is not the only thing," Harami argued back hotly.

"Shishou is the one handpicked by Hokage sama. Obviously Hokage sama knows best," Anko shouted at Harami.

"That's not true," Harami shouted back, "if Minato san is not good enough why is he a contestant?"

"I don't know. I don't wanna know. Shishou is the best. He should be Hokage," Anko growled closing in on Harami.

"That's not for you to decide," Harami growled back in Anko's face not backing down.

"ENOUGH!"

I shouted causing both of them to jump back. I shot a stern glare at both of them. While they looked like they wanted to argue, they promptly shut their mouth hearing my growl.

"Come, let's go get some dango. And no talk about the election," I ordered sternly making my way past them.

For a second, both seemed to hesitate. But, in the end, they followed me silently. While Anko and Harami had both strong personalities that allowed them to be friends with each other, it was not helping their friendship in this particular situation.

They weren't the only ones. There were countless arguments erupting all over the village regarding this matter currently. Both Orochimaru and Minato were famous in the village, and as expected they both had a lot of supporters.

If anyone thought Orochimaru's name didn't have enough weight in the shinobi circle, they would be foolish to think so. Even without Danzo and Hiruzen's support, Orochimaru had his own group of followers. After all, we shinobi always respected people with power. And Orochimaru had loads of it to spare as one of the Sannin.

But, what worried me currently was the rumors about the conspiracy to keep power in a certain group that was floating around. From how quickly it has been spread and how far it has reached, I was beginning to suspect that there was some organized hand behind it.

And rumors were dangerous. Very, very dangerous in times like this. It was forcing people into a certain perception. In the long run, it might affect the entire power structure of the village. But, strangely enough, neither the Hokage nor the other shinobi have noticed it. All their attention was fixed on the upcoming election.

It scared me to know that someone was doing it purposefully. And if my instincts were right, Danzo isn't behind this. He had no reason to. After all, he has decided to take a step back and remain neutral in this election process. So, it meant that someone, probably high up in the village, who understood the power masses held was behind it. And from the looks of it, they were playing a long game.

 **(*****)**

There it is!

A single ray of hope! My chance to escape this mess!

No wonder, Danzo hadn't found this.

There was a single loophole that I could exploit to stay out of the convoluted mess. The option was available for only a limited number of people. And Danzo wasn't one of them. Even then, I highly doubted Danzo had come across this loophole.

Because, Madara Uchiha – the paranoid bastard, was the one to create this loophole.

And like I said, there were only a select few individuals who can use this. It pertains to the founding of Konoha and one of the initial allowances that were given to the founding clans. This would help me to escape this.

But, before that, I need to ensure that this hadn't been amended or abolished since then.

What followed was a long night of going through various laws and restrictions that were passed in Konoha since the founding. In the end, it took me most of the night to make sure that nothing has been changed.

But, nothing was changed. It looked like it was one of those loopholes that were forgotten over time due to no necessity. And this long-forgotten loophole was the lifeline for me to escape from the fiasco.

But, one question still remained. How to implement that?

As I laid back smiling at my success and thought about the various possibilities through which I could implement this. One particular possibility looked more and more appropriate than all the others. In fact, this might even have some major additional benefits.

With a smile on my face, I drifted off to sleep peacefully knowing that tomorrow I was going to cause a huge ruckus.

 **(*****)**

Danzo would be pissed.

Oh yes, he was going to be so pissed off with me for pulling this stunt. But, I didn't care. I hummed a jaunty tune as I entered the dining room for breakfast. Hiruzen, Orochimaru, Biwako, and Asuma looked confused at my attitude change. I couldn't fault them. I had been moping ever since I returned to find the fiasco waiting for me to get dragged in. But, after last night, I wasn't worried.

"Looks like you are in a good mood, Hato kun," Orochimaru commented mildly as he looked at me with amusement.

"You can say that," I smiled wide making Orochimaru look at me in surprise.

"Anything I should be worried about?" Hiruzen asked me with mild trepidation.

"Probably, but I not telling you," I stuck my tongue out childishly causing Asuma to splutter.

"You aren't planning about running off, are you?" Biwako asked sternly.

"Nah, where's the fun in that?" I asked gifting her with a mischievous wink.

"Sensei, I think we should be worried now," Orochimaru said trying to keep a straight face.

"It would appear so, Oro kun," Hiruzen looked mildly amused. "Anyways, I hope you have made your decision Hatorama. After all, this is an important occasion."

"Don't worry, my decision will surprise you," I smiled knowing it would not only take him off guard but a lot of others too.

After all, no one would expect what I am going to pull.

Hiruzen and Biwako exchanged a worried glance at each other, before letting the matter go. Orochimaru looked more curious than ever.

"Hato kun," Orochimaru spoke after a while when we were almost done with breakfast, "about the last statement you said to me last time we spoke, should I be expecting anything today?"

I chewed my food thinking back to our last conversation, and once I was sure what he was referring to I nodded slowly.

"You can expect some signs," I said cryptically.

"I see," Orochimaru looked thoughtful, "thank you for your information."

I nodded amicably not minding Hiruzen looking at us like a hawk. There were very few times Orochimaru and I have had a civil conversation. And anything that was associated with today was of critical importance to Hiruzen. But, lacking context, he couldn't actually identify what we were talking about. Thankfully, he didn't press.

When the breakfast was over, Hiruzen led me and Orochimaru to the clan meeting in a sedate pace. We were one of the last few people to arrive. But, that was to be expected considering Hiruzen's status. As he entered, everyone bowed and resumed their seat.

Hiruzen was sitting as the head of the table with Orochimaru and Minato flanking him on either side. Danzo sat next to Orochimaru and the two other councilors sat next to Minato, leaving Shikaku to occupy the last spot by Danzo.

Discounting Shikaku, who was here as a Jounin commander, it kind of looked like distribution of powers to anyone with half a mind to take note. Straight opposite to them, on the other end of the table, I sat along with Fugaku, Choza san, and Hiashi san sat representing the founding clans of Konoha. The rest of the clan heads, representing their clans, took their seat on either side of the table in no particular order. I even saw a sulking Kakashi representing his clan.

"As you all know," Hiruzen began the meeting in a calm but stern tone, "the purpose of this clan meeting is to vote on the two Hokage candidates. Choose wisely and vote without fear of any repercussions. Make your own judgment as to which of them will be suited to lead us in these troubling times. We have all just ended a war and the candidate you choose will represent Konoha and sign the peace treaty to bring an official end to this war. Thus, I implore you to keep in mind that you must choose who will represent us wisely giving due consideration to every aspect of the candidate whether be it strength, fame, or anything else."

"The first candidate is my student Orochimaru. One of the Three Sannins, who made his name in the Second Shinobi War and has been contributing a lot in this war as well as an assistant to me. I do not need to expound on his actions and countless meritorious deeds for this village. I am sure most of you are already aware of this."

"The other candidate is Namizake Minato, student of the Toad Sage, Jiraya. His name Yellow Flash has been branded into the minds of our enemies in this war. He was one of the pivotal assets in helping us win this war and bring peace back to Konoha."

"Either of them is a promising youngster who is fit to lead Konoha into a new era of peace. I hope you choose wisely. Regardless of whom you choose, he will have the entire support of the village once he assumes the Hokage office. After all, the Will of Fire burns in each and every one of us and we all will die for Konoha. Our positions, roles, and responsibilities may vary. But, we are all shinobi of Konohagakure first and foremost."

"As per tradition, we will start the voting with the representatives of the founding clans of Konoha. Senju Hatorama, you may begin."

I eyed the rest of the room lazily and a smirk pulled on my face. I didn't fight it, but let it remain there to let them know that I was doing this purposefully.

After all, if you going to cause a ruckus, you need to do it with style.

"As the representative of Senju clan, I, Senju Hatorama, propose an additional candidate for the election and vote for him. The shinobi I chose to propose is,"

I could see murmurs erupting all over the room. No one had done what I had done until now and I am sure it was going to create some interesting effects. Already, Danzo and Hiruzen were narrowing their eyes. Orochimaru looked amused. Minato looked surprised. The two councilors were shaking their heads. Even Shikaku was wide awake now.

But, I turned to my right and watched the one man's reaction I absolutely needed to see.

 **"UCHIHA FUGAKU."**

(*****)

 ** _Konoha Founding Clans Charter – Amendment 27._**

 ** _As proposed by Uchiha Madara, the Uchiha Clan Leader, and accepted by the clan leaders of the founding clans of Konohagakure, the founding clans of Konohagakure namely the Hyuga, Akimichi, Uchiha, and Senju are provided with the right to propose their own candidate to be nominated as the next Hokage._**

 ** _In the case that any of the founding clans are unsatisfactory with the two nominations for the post of Hokage and feel that some other citizen of Konohgakure will represent the village, this amendment to the Hokage elections could be made. Provided, the suggested candidate fulfills the following criteria._**

 ** _The proposed candidate should,_**

 ** _a)_** ** _Be a citizen of Konohagakure._**

 ** _b)_** ** _Be atleast a Jounin._**

 ** _c)_** ** _Not be nominated for the post of Hokage in the past or current election._**

 ** _d)_** ** _Have made contributions for the village prior to the proposal._**

 ** _e)_** ** _Not be from the same clan as the proposal came from._**

 ** _If the proposed candidate fulfills the above conditions; neither the civilian council nor the clan council has the right to reject this proposal._**

 _As I read through the charter's amendment, I couldn't help but let out a relieved smile. This wouldn't be applicable to anyone but me, Fugaku, Hiashi san and Chouza san. Therefore, Danzo must not be privy to this little exception._

 _This way, I can escape the fiasco unscathed. But, the problem was who to propose as the candidate. This would need some serious thinking. Nevertheless, I now had a loophole to exploit. That's the only thing that mattered to me._

 _There it is!_

 _A single ray of hope! My chance to escape this mess!_


	30. Chapter 30 - Yondaimae Hokage

**A/N: Hi folks, hope all of you are well and following safety precautions. This Corona Virus pandemic has clearly disrupted quite a bit of our regular lives and I hope every one of you gets out of this relatively well.**

 **Moving on, this chapter was a bit hard to write. I was stuck on proceeding how best to emulate the situation. Luckily, one of the reviewers gave me an idea. Reviewer: Heeheehoho (honestly, that's a bit amusing) wanted Fugaku's pov on this event and that got me thinking. I have also seen some of the others waiting to see others' reactions to it. And, previously, quite a few of you have asked to see how people were thinking of Hatorama. Hence, I decided upon this idea.**

 **Hope this doesn't put people off. We will be back to Hato's POV from the next chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30 – Yondaimae Hokage**

* * *

 **Fugaku:**

"Uchiha Fugaku," Hatorama Senju's words shocked him to the core.

For a brief moment, he expected his obnoxious nephew Shisui to stare back at him smiling and tell him that he had henged and taken the Senju's place. It would be something right up his forte. The boy had some really crazy imagination.

But, that brief hope was gone out as he saw it really was the damn Senju who was staring back at him. He noted that the Senju's eyes danced with mirth and fake innocence so much that he wanted to punch him right in the face. If this was the damn Senju's way of getting back at him for taking Itachi to the frontlines, then it would make perfect sense.

But, the boy's - no, he was a man now. Fugaku corrected himself knowing that the Senju had earned the right more than many others in his clan to be called so - the man's eyes had a hidden sincerity to them that was hard to miss for Fugaku. And more than anything else, it unsettled him.

All he wanted to do was splutter and vehemently deny his association with this hare-brained idea of the damn Senju. It was far more trouble than he could handle. This would put his budding relationship with Minato in jeopardy. The other clan leaders would think he was making a play for the power. But above all, the paperwork.

Oh, Kami! The paperwork!

He knew far more than anyone else how much damn paperwork the job involved. His experience of being the Head of the Military Police and a battlefield Commander had given him ample opportunity to get well-acquainted with the horror that was known as paperwork. Most people only saw the Hokage post as a cushy chair to sit on, but the reality was something else. The administrative work involved was enough to frighten any sane man from wishing for the post after he had come into contact with it.

And Kushina, that redhaired banshee!

The mere thought of her made him cringe a little mentally.

But, on the other hand, his clan's words from last night echoed in his mind. They had been unhappy that while the village recognized Minato's work in the war, they seemed to conveniently forget his contributions. They had been rightfully resentful. Even though he never wanted the post, their resentment was understandable. But, as his duty to the village commanded, he had berated them and asked them to not utter a word about it.

His clan was his everything. He knew he would die for it. So, taking up an even more demanding post was nothing compared to it. So, if it would bring happiness to his clan, he would accept this nomination. But, first, he needed to determine the motives of the Senju. It was only prudent.

"Forgive me, Senju dono," it irked him to say those words, but he somehow managed to do it. "Am I to understand you are nominating me as the third candidate for the Hokage post?" he asked cautiously testing the waters.

The damn Senju nodded without much reaction. Just when he wanted to ask him to elaborate so that he could understand his intentions, he was rudely interrupted by one of the councilors.

"Hatorama, what nonsense are you saying?" Homura san interrupted angrily.

Then, it hit him like a rampaging fireball that not many people knew that the four founding clans had the power to nominate a Hokage candidate of their desire. He smirked wanting to see how the Senju was going to handle this.

"I assure you, councilor, I have no time to spout nonsense," the Senju spoke with a self-assured tone that would have made his forefather's proud. "I am merely nominating an extra candidate for the post."

"Hatorama!" Danzo's eyes were narrowed and it honestly surprised him to see the elder at loggerheads with the Senju boy. After all, who didn't know that the elder considered the Senju as his own adopted son. "Explain this lunacy!"

"Danzo, I told you the boy wasn't fit to attend this meeting. Look, now he seems to think up ideas of self-importance," the other councilor Komaru san sniped narrowing his eyes at the Senju.

This was becoming more and more interesting by the minute. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Shikaku dono shuffling with papers and intensely pursuing them. At least the man has a clear head on his shoulders. No wonder the Hokage made him the Jounin commander. He approved of how the man wasn't flustered by this new revelation. That was an important trait to have.

He roved his eyes towards others as the Senju explained his actions. Orochimaru san's face was interesting. He seemed very amused by the Senju's actions and was that a smile playing across his face? Interesting, it looks like the Sannin was not put off by the actions of the Senju.

Minato, on the other hand, looked equal part confused and intrigued. Even he didn't seem that keen to receive the Senju's vote. After his talk with him yesterday, it had become clear that Minato wasn't keen to get the Senju's vote. It violated Minato's base principles as a shinobi and even made a mockery of the reason he wanted to become a Hokage. It was no wonder he didn't look put off either.

What an irony! While the whole village was eager to see who the Senju voted for, the two people who were going to be affected by it most didn't seem to care for it. If he had any less control, it would have caused him to chuckle. But, since he was representing the Uchiha clan, he couldn't embarrass himself with such foolish actions.

He knew how much pressure the Senju had been placed under these last two days due to the election. Honestly, it wasn't a good thing to encounter right after coming from the battlefield. But, while they were all forced to choose from the two options provided, the Senju had been pushed to make the third one. Probably because he understood the significance of his single vote.

But, a part of him bristled at the notion of being the third option for the Senju. But, he ruthlessly squashed it. He knew the Senju's actions weren't malevolent in nature. He was trying the best he could do to escape a tricky situation. Regardless, it still bothered him that the Senju used him, among all the others, as a scapegoat for his escape.

Maybe, it really was revenge for taking Itachi to the frontlines!

The bickering was in full force now. Shikaku dono had obviously found the right document and confirmed the Senju's right to nominate someone. From the looks of it, the councilors weren't too happy. They were bickering with Hiruzen and Shikaku over the technicalities.

"…. or maybe, we should abolish this ludicrous law. This will set a foolish precedent." Koharu san's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

Rage flushed through him as he processed those words. That was their right as the founding clans. If he allowed someone to get away with undermining their status, then it might set a dangerous precedent.

"Enough!" he raised his voice to bring attention to him. "Koharu san," he continued with a soft tone that any Uchiha would know enough to run away from, "if I am not mistaken, I just heard that you wanted to meddle in the rights provided to the founding clans at the beginning of Konoha."

He felt Hiashi dono stiffen beside him. Even Choza dono's posture didn't have any friendliness. As for the one who began this chaos, he was acting as if it didn't bother him. But, he knew better. The Senju's lips had a downward tilt expressing his disapproval. So, he wasn't the only one who was offended by the presumption of the councilor.

"I… I…," Koharu san stuttered unable to form a reply.

"Make sure such ideas never rise in your mind again," he warned the councilor that there were some lines that shouldn't be crossed. "Our ancestors have sacrificed a lot to form this village. I am sure that none of the other clans begrudge us for the few paltry privileges we are given as a reward for the hard work of establishing this village," he roved his eyes towards the other clan heads who nodded acknowledging his point. "Do not make a mockery of our ancestors' hard work."

"Fugaku san," Homura san smoothly intervened helping his fellow councilor out of the trouble she had landed herself in, "I apologize for any disrespect you may have perceived from Koharu's innocent words. Her intentions were definitely not that."

Perceived disrespect! Innocent Words! And by addressing him alone, he had essentially made it as a matter between him and the councilor, instead of the founding clans and the councilor. What good silver tongue the old devil had!

But, before he could correct that misconception, the Senju, of all people, spoke.

"Councilor, it wasn't just Fugaku san who got offended. Your continued reluctance to even follow the rules set forth by our ancestors, offends me too," the Senju's sneer was something to take note off. It clearly depicted how foolish he found this entire thing.

"Essentially, you are preventing me from using my right as the representative of one of the founding clan. By doing so, you are letting me know that what my Grandfather, Grand Uncle, and countless other Senjus before me did for this village isn't worthy enough to let me exercise my right," the Senju continued with a sharp look that he had once been on the receiving end of.

"No one is disrespecting your ancestors here boy," Koharu san snapped.

"Then, allow me to use my right, old crone," the Senju spat back viciously.

"Hatorama," Danzo interrupted with a stern tone, "mind your words."

"Then tell your colleague to stop treating me as a boy, Danzo san. After all, I am one of the youngest jounins in the village. If she has so little trust in my abilities and decision-making skills, then she should have objected to sending me to the frontline. Remembering my age just when in suits her only reflects on her narrow-mindedness. As the representative of Senju clan, I have invoked my right to nominate a Hokage candidate. Does anyone here has a valid objection?" the Senju asked looking around.

He had to admit. The Senju was indeed worthy of his name. He effectively crushed any opposing arguments by dragging in his war accomplishments and his clan's status. The Senju had learned well.

"Even, if we are to agree that you have the right, it doesn't necessarily mean that your nomination should be accepted," Homura san once more used his silver tongue to good effect.

"Oh, that's fair," the Senju nodded taking him and everyone else by surprise. "I do indeed remember that there must be certain conditions met. After all, our ancestors weren't stupid enough to allow anyone to be nominated."

Before anyone could speak, the Senju continued, "According to me, Uchiha Fugaku is a rightful citizen of Konoha. He fulfills the requirement of being a Jounin and not being from my own clan. And, he has never been nominated prior to this for the post. That fulfills most of the conditions. The only one left is his contributions to Konoha."

He stiffened unknowingly. This was a dangerous question. The very same one his clan had raised. The Senju might have walked unknowingly into dangerous territory. He grimaced wondering how this was going to turn out.

"I don't know about most of you, but I have personally served under Uchiha Fugaku in this war," the Senju continued calmly, "From my observations, and I am sure many more would agree, he has contributed as much as Minato san did to the war effort. He has been stationed in the border as the Commander for most of the war. His name is resounding to the shinobi of Kiri and his prowess is unquestionable. Not to mention his contributions as the head of Konoha Military Police."

As he saw other clan heads nodding along with the Senju, he let out a relieved breath silently. The knot in his stomach became undone. A strange feeling of pride and elation bubbled up within him. It felt good to be acknowledged by his peers. This mere nodding along as someone else listed his sacrifices for the village gave him a fulfillment he felt he needed. And to come from a Senju of all people, it meant more to him. And his clan would certainly feel the same way. He couldn't help but form a thin smile on his face.

"So, in my opinion, Uchiha Fugaku has contributed to the village as the final condition requires. The only condition that is debatable is this one. If the Councilor feels that Uchiha Fugaku hasn't contributed enough to be nominated for the post, we can put it up for a vote and see if the others feel the same way."

Strangely enough, he almost felt like laughing at the look on Homura san's face. If he even suggested that he hasn't contributed enough publically like this, then he would be glad to shift the attention of all the disgruntled clansmen's anger towards him. After all, almost one-fourth of civilian business in Konoha was run by Homura san's clan.

The disgruntled noise from Homura san indicated clearly that the man understood that he was fighting a losing battle. The Senju waited for a bit eyeing the three councilors, before continuing.

"If that is not the problem, then I see what the problem is. I have nominated, Uchiha Fugaku satisfies all the conditions. In that case," the Senju paused a little for dramatic effect making him roll his eyes mentally as doing that physically would be unbecoming of an Uchiha, "neither the clan council nor the civilian council has any rights to reject this nomination. That would make Uchiha Fugaku the third candidate. And thus, it makes my vote valid. Now, can we move on to others instead of wasting everyone's time?"

He had to bend his head down a little to hide his smile. The Senju had played everyone beautifully.

"I think, we should move on to the next vote," the Hokage spoke, at last, letting out a puff of smoke.

The councilors grunted unwillingly, but they couldn't do anything else. Soon, everyone's attention turned towards him.

He eyed everyone for a few moments as his mind ruminated over what the Senju had done. As much as his clansmen would love to see him as a Hokage, he didn't have much interest in the post. He knew that Minato was genuinely interested in the post. He seemed to care about the entire village just like he did with his clan. That would make him a good leader. That is the kind of Hokage he would be proud to follow.

Even before the Senju created all this nonsense, he had been determined to vote for Minato regardless of how it would be perceived by others. And Uchihas weren't fickle to change their decision. This seat and position he held not only represented him but also represented the entirety of his clan.

As much as he wanted to thank the Senju for trusting in him, even to be used as a scapegoat for his escape, he knew Minato would do things for his clan better than he could do. He had his own position in Konoha.

A proud head of the Uchiha clan. A proud chief of Konoha Military Police. A proud father of a son.

But, he didn't know if he would be good enough to assume this mantle of Hokage. So, the best option was to vote for the best man for the betterment of his clan.

For his clan…..

"I vote for Namikaze Minato," he said succinctly making many eyebrows rise up.

If his clan could be better, then what did it matter if he didn't become Hokage.

For his clan, he would sacrifice his life. A mere Hokage seat meant nothing. He met Minato's eyes and gave him a nod to indicate that he supported his dream and was willing to place the future of his clan at that man's hands.

 **(*****)**

 **Minato:**

He watched a bit amused at Hato's clever ploy to get out of the situation the village had placed him in. It was interesting to see how if one was determined enough the world will always bend to their will. He knew was one such individual.

Not because Jiraya sensei had told him about the prophecy he received from the Toad Sage. It was because his determination to become Hokage and protect Konoha had led him to this stage. After all, no one would have expected a civilian born Shinobi to become a Hokage candidate even a year before.

He had never given up on his dream. When Kushina had taken a heavier burden and passed on her dream to him, he had merely gritted his teeth and continued on unmindful of the added weight to his shoulders. He had persevered countless battles and honed his skills to reach the stage he was currently in. His hard work and determination had paid off. Just like Hato kun's.

Even though he felt a little sad that Hato kun didn't vote for him, he understood the position Hato kun was in. That was the reason he had been so angry with Rin, Obito, and Kushina when they pressured the boy. Rin and Obito had never been on the receiving end of his temper before that. Kushina had been understandably ashamed of herself when he had patiently explained to her what Hato kun was going through.

Kakashi, on the other hand, has understood it far better than anyone else. After all, he had been there when Hato kun had explained what made a village. That was the day he had felt enlightened. Even before that moment, he had dreamed of becoming a Hokage. But, after that conversation, his outlook on who a Hokage was had changed tremendously.

It had allowed him to grow both as a shinobi and as a person. It had fuelled his dream to become a reality. Hato kun's thoughts on the reason the First Hokage created the village allowed him to see what the title of Hokage truly meant.

Maybe, it was the reason he felt a little sad. Getting the acknowledgment of someone with such a perspective would have meant more than any other votes. But, the situation made it so that he would never know the answer for whether Hato kun approved of him as a Hokage or not.

Honestly, he expected Hato kun to abstain from voting. That would have been the best option he had. But, Hato kun had pulled off a clever ploy using a loophole everyone had forgot about. No wonder he made Jounin even younger than Kakashi.

Thinking of Kakashi, he had to admit he liked this new change in Kakashi ever since they returned from the Kanabi Bridge mission. As he had long hoped, Obito had cracked open Kakashi's hard heart and made him understand the meaning of Hato kun's words from that day. As a result, Kakashi has become more and more friendlier with his teammates just like he had hoped when he took the boy under his wing.

He watched idly as the two councilors argued with the Hokage about abolishing the law and knew they had overstepped a line that they shouldn't have crossed. For all the grumbles the civilian born shinobis had, no one would dare find fault with the founding clans for their sacrifice. Trying to take away their right was really a bad move.

As expected, Fugaku broke up the argument to express his displeasure. The male councilor tried to downplay things with his silver tongue, but to the surprise of everyone Hato kun backed up Fugaku. What was Hato kun trying to do here? More than once he had supported Fugaku. Is it merely political or did it have any other significance?

Strangely enough, he could see that Danzo san was not pleased with Hato kun's actions. While he didn't argue with the Hokage about rejecting Hato kun's proposal his expression made it clear he disapproved of Hato kun's actions. He merely tried to reign in Hato kun's impulsiveness. After all, calling a councilor an old crone was anything but appropriate. But, it did bring a smile to him.

He exchanged a look with Orochimaru san who seemed as amused as him. The mere nod of acknowledgment he had received from the Sannin when they had been first introduced as contenders made him happy enough. Even if he lost, losing to a Sannin like Orochimaru san was no shame.

He watched as Hatorama brilliantly shut down any complaints about his proposal and went on to list Fugaku's contributions to the village. He felt happy for Fugaku. Fugaku had sacrificed as much as himself in the war. It's a shame that everyone had been caught up in the Hokage elections and forgot to remember his contributions.

He knew that as much as Fugaku tried to act as if it didn't bother him, he had been a little hurt with not receiving due recognition. From the looks of it, the recognition coming from Hato kun was more valuable to Fugaku than anyone else's. It made sense. After all, the long-standing rivalry between Uchiha and Senju clans were well documented.

He smiled as the little resentment Fugaku carried around dissipated. Did Hato kun know about that? If so, how? No one else seemed to have noticed it. Even he noticed it only because he had been acquainted with Fugaku for a longer period of time (it was hard not to with Kushina and Mikoto being the best of friends), and he was the reason for the resentment. If not, even he wouldn't have noticed with the perfect poker face the man had.

Then, it was Fugaku's turn to vote.

"I vote for Namikaze Minato," Fugaku stated simply causing a lull to appear in the bustling clan meeting.

It was hard to control his surprise. Instead of using the opportunity to cement his candidacy, Fugaku had voted for him. He didn't know what it implied. Whether Fugaku was expressing his support for him or criticizing the Hokage for his actions, it was clearly a muddled state of affairs. This election has made it hard to determine who supported him whole-heartedly and who was doing to spite Hokage sama.

He felt a headache forming. As he met Fugaku's eyes, his confusion cleared. If he felt the responsibility on his shoulders weigh a little more, he didn't care because the simple nod from Fugaku told him that he voted because he had trust in him.

And that somehow meant more knowing how protective the man was of his clan. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't let that trust end up in vain if he was selected.

 **(*****)**

 **Orochimaru:**

 _Kukukukuku_

Orochimaru mentally chuckled watching the mayhem Hato kun had created. It didn't surprise him that Hato kun didn't vote for him or Minato. He had all but confirmed that he was going to stir up chaos. And he had to admit, Hato kun had the ability to create beautiful chaos.

As he watched the councilors bicker with sensei like little children, his mind couldn't help but drift towards the brat who had started it all. Senju Hatorama was an interesting specimen. He didn't have Tsunade's brashness, but he did have her sharp mind.

She had been the only one who truly understood him and his motives, provided her thinking had always been along a different line. Jiraiya and rest of the morons were too intellectually deficient to even catch up to his thoughts. He had far more things to do than look after pathetic civilians who had no drive to better themselves and were content enough to let someone else make their decisions for them.

As for the shinobi section of the populace, he wasn't much keen on the idea of herding sheep that had lost its individuality and were content enough to muddle along in mediocrity. Their thinking had been forced into a box and it had made them too conditioned to do anything outside it.

The only reason he was interested in the Hokage position was the level of access it gave him to the information that the village held. There was literally nothing that was stopping him from exploring the boundaries of chakra and its usages.

He could hardly digest the thought of not exploring something as interesting as chakra, which made one section of the population superior over others. Initially, he too had been bound with only thinking along the lines of exploring the usage of chakra on the battlefield. But, recently, his thoughts have been extended beyond those boundaries and a new horizon was in sight.

His explorations into the world of chakra had truly started with fuinjutsu. It was mindboggling to him that none of these dimwits actually understood how great the applications of fuinjutsu were. One of the best things about Hato kun was that he was not like those dimwits. He truly appreciated the art of fuinjutsu. That trap he had created had been ingenious. If he hadn't been bogged down with his own research, he would have given it some thought.

Alas! There were too many things to do with too little time.

And becoming a Hokage would severely limit the already limited time he had. It would be better if these sheep helped him extricate himself from sensei's expectations of him. Sensei and Biwako san were like parents to him. While he didn't actually understand what it meant to treat someone as his parents, that was the closest analogy that he could come up with. That was the reason he didn't understand why sensei was so worried about how those dimwits perceived him.

He had tried to tell sensei to not care about dimwits like them, but sensei hardly listened. But, Hato kun's words that night had helped sensei enough to let go of those foolish thoughts and he was a little bit grateful towards him for that.

There were very few people in the world that he actually cared about. Apart from Sensei and Biwako san, Tsunade and that idiot Jiraya were the only ones he cared about. As far Hato kun, he wasn't someone he cared about. Hato kun was interesting for sure, but he could never bring himself to care for him as he did with the others.

Initially, he was irritated with the boy. His propensity to escape his sight sometimes even irked him as sensei would often ask his opinion on the brat. Failing sensei's expectations left a sour taste in his mouth. And to realize the cause for it was a little brat, really made him want to throttle that brat. He refrained only because of Tsunade.

But when it became clear that brat was a sensor, his interest had been piqued. Did the brat inherit his grandfather's legendary chakra sensing abilities? If so, what made some abilities inheritable? Did the bloodline relation factor into an inheritance? Did the brat learn to avoid him because of his chakra? Was he able to sense that he was becoming more and more in tune with snakes than anyone else had done with their summons? After all, it was common knowledge that most people were uncomfortable with snakes. So, what else was the brat capable of sensing?

So many questions had flooded his mind due to that revelation.

Then came the spar he was asked to participate in by sensei to probe the boy's progress. And the brat had managed to draw blood. A mere brat out of academy managing to draw his blood made his blood boil in humiliation. But, it also made him know that he had been slacking off.

And the brat's usage of arrows was a new revelation to. Like so many other shinobis he had been one to disdain the usage of old war weapons, but the brat's usage had proved to him that it was not the weapon that was dangerous, it was the mind that was wielding it which was dangerous.

So, obviously the brat had piqued his interest.

He had been worried about the boy's sensei a little. Not because he cared for him or anything, but because he loathed the idea of someone so good being turned into a trash. Luckily, the sensei's influence had been cut short and he had been sent to the frontlines. The brat had honed his fighting skills to a terrifying degree if the reports were to be believed. And that new jutsu he had created, it was a nifty little one if he had to make a comment.

Now, he was very much interested in how the brat was going to develop in this peace-time. He didn't believe that this peace would last for long. But, he still hoped that the brat had enough time to come up with some interesting things before yet another war broke out.

Speaking of it, it would be a wasted opportunity to not spar with the brat. That way, he could experience that new jutsu and his taijutsu skills first hand.

He was brought out of his reverie as that old crone put her foot in her mouth by insulting the founding clans. It was delightful to see her being put in her place. He didn't think much of the silver tongue of the other councilor either. As he watched, he cackled inwardly with glee as Hato kun used Danzo's training to negate each and every opposition the councilor brought to table.

Strangely enough, Danzo had been silent throughout much of the meeting. On odd occasions he would interfere to curb some of Hato kun's recklessness, but other than that he was strangely silent. He knew about Danzo's hatred for the Uchihas – ah, they do have some interesting abilities, so it puzzled him that he wasn't arguing against an Uchiha being nominated.

He sent an acknowledging smile to Hyuga Hiashi when he voted for him just to keep up pretenses. It didn't surprise him that Akimichi Choza voted for Minato. Next, it was the councilors' turn to vote. He watched as the two councilors voted for Minato apathetically.

But, Danzo's stance made him narrow his eyes. He had remained neutral.

That….. was unexpected.

Even sensei looked a little surprised.

 _"There is a web being spun around you,"_ Hato kun's voice echoed in his head.

He caught Hato kun's eyes across the table and alarm bells began ringing in his head.

This would need some careful thinking. Danzo had been very helpful in his research until now. But, if he was willing to distance himself this easily, then he needed to prepare some contingencies. If Danzo decided to throw him to the wolves, he needed to have some backup plans.

After all, the need for what he was doing with Danzo wouldn't be understood by dimwits and morons.

 **(*****)**

 **Kakashi:**

Kakashi was bored. He knew that this entire clan meeting was nothing but a charade, just going through motions when they all know the result. Normally, it would have been a tough competition with Minato sensei and Orochimaru san competing. But, the circumstances were not so.

So, he tuned out most of the welcome speech by the Hokage and was about to start introspecting his life choices until now when something interesting happened.

And of course, it had to come from Senju Hatorama.

The Senju had found some obscure loophole and had used it to his advantage to escape from the unfavorable situation he was placed in. He had to admit at least Hatorama had some intellect. It would be arrogant of him to not recognize the brilliance of his rival – Guy, and Obito were anything but that despite their claims.

Hatorama was his true rival.

And then the bickering began making him lose any interest he had dredged up.

 _"Shinobi who disobey the rules may be trash. But, you know what, those who abandon their friends are even worse than trash,"_ Obito's words once again rang in his head.

He had to admit that he had been too hell-bent on following the shinobi rule book until then. Even then, he would have gone on to make the mission his priority if not for another set of words that rang in his head at that moment when he and Obito were arguing about whether to rescue Rin or not.

 _"What is the village?"_

 _"Sakumo san…. I think Sakumo san is like my Granduncle. They both cherished lives. My Granduncle wanted to find a solution to the warring clans era to bring about peace because he didn't want people to die. That is why my grandfather looked up to him. And that is why I look up to Sakumo san."_

It made him hesitate. And in the spur of the moment, he had decided to help Obito in rescuing Rin. When they had both rescued Rin and completed the mission smoothly, he began to wonder if following the shinobi rule book by the word was truly the right thing to do.

Obviously he had broken the code and went to rescue Rin. But, the mission had been completed successfully. And Rin had been alive too. But, if he had followed the rule book, Rin would have surely died.

This changed his entire outlook on the incident with his father. Did his father make the right choice? Was it a simple misconception that has caused his death?

Questions like this have been plaguing his mind these days a lot. Hatorama's staunch support and respect for his father was something he hadn't seen in many shinobi. Normally, such an attitude should have weakened him, but he still made a Jounin younger than him.

Then, did it make him right?

If so, then what did it make the entire village. His conversation with Minato sensei afterward had revealed that some of the new generation shinobi were truly beginning to understand his father's actions after experiencing war and were even supporting his actions. The loss of comrades does have some deep impact after all.

Then, what did it specify about Hatorama? Is he a pioneer in this new-generation of shinobi? If so, what does his actions today mean? Does it have some deep meaning?

Once again, his thoughts came back to Senju Hatorama and his actions. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Regardless, he had to admit that Hatorama Senju was his one true rival. Only by surpassing him would he become the best shinobi of this new era.

Before he could think any further, it was his turn to vote.

"Namikaze Minato," he said simply not bothering to waste his words wondering when this charade will be done with.

 **(*****)**

 **Hiruzen:**

Hiruzen let out a large puff of smoke and exhaled a sigh. It was finally over. The clan meeting had dragged on longer than he had expected. One surprise after another had been thrust into his face throughout the meeting, so much so that he was beginning to become immune to it. And it was all Hato kun's fault.

When Hato kun had said that his decision would surprise him, he had been a little skeptical deep down in his heart. But, the boy had indeed surprised him. Him and everyone else.

When he had come up with his strange proposal to add a new candidate, he had been surprised, to say the least. Even more so when Shikaku confirmed that the founding clans had such rights. Who knew that there was such a loophole?

Koharu and Homura's stubborn refusal to agree to that had surprised him too. But, not so much as Danzo's staunch refusal to take part in the debate. He had expected Danzo to be the first one to renounce the proposal. But, strangely enough, he had withheld his protests.

He knew Danzo far too well to know that he was angry with Hato kun's antics. Regardless, it was good to know that Hato kun hadn't been corrupted by Danzo's bias for the Uchiha clan.

The next one was a pleasant delight to see Hato kun calling his old teammate an old crone. Even though it reminded him of his own age, he did enjoy the look of shock on Koharu's face, albeit guiltily. The animosity between Hato kun and his two teammates was clear to see. He didn't know the reason for it, but he didn't mind it much. After all, he couldn't expect everyone to get along.

And the choice for candidature was interesting. He didn't know what his sensei would say if he saw his grandson nominate an Uchiha of all people to be a Hokage. Ah, how the times have changed! And when he listed off the reasons, he was even more impressed with Hato kun.

It shamed him a little to admit that he had been too focused on the Hokage elections to give proper recognition to the shinobi who had put their lives on the line in the war. Especially, people like Fugaku who had done as much as Minato has done.

Maybe, he should include the likes of Shikaku, Fugaku, Hiashi, and a few others who had worked harder than anyone else to ensure Konoha came out on top in his retirement speech. And if he mentioned the new generation shinobi who made a name for themselves like Hatorama Senju, Shisui Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake, it would raise some moral too.

Food for thought, perhaps.

The three big surprises, however, came towards the end. He had expected Fugaku to support his nomination. After all, it was only logical both due to clan pride and the allure of Hokage seat. Fugaku, however, had surprised him when he supported Minato. And their little exchange didn't escape his eyes either.

It looked like Fugaku was far more mature than he had given credit. That was an oversight he needed to correct. If he can resist the allure of Hokage seat and still remain clear in his goals, then it told him that Fugaku was not hungry for power like Danzo had been fearing.

Maybe, he was the one who had been influenced by Danzo's bias.

Food for thought, definitely.

The next big surprise came in the form of Danzo's neutrality. The exchange of looks between Hato kun and Oro kun didn't escape his eyes either. What did Hato kun say to Oro kun that had sent him into deep thinking? Danzo's unexpected withdrawal will make things difficult for Oro kun to succeed him.

Sigh, it looks like Minato would be the one succeeding him. Not that he had anything against the kid, but he didn't have Oro kun's cunning. It was a much-needed quality for a man to sit in the Hokage seat.

But Danzo's withdrawal….

Food for thought, definitely.

The final big surprise was the few votes Fugaku received. Even though they were few in number, it showed how much people respected him. And he was able to generate such support within half an hour. While it was nowhere near to the amount Oro kun or Minato received, it still made him wonder what would have happened if Fugaku has few weeks like Minato did.

That was a big lapse in his judgment. It didn't sit well that he had made such a mistake. He should have included Fugaku as a candidate too. He wondered how the election might have turned out if he had done so.

Maybe, I have been influenced by Danzo's bias all along.

Sigh, it's good that I am retiring from the post.

 **(*****)**

I walked out of the clan meeting with a spring in my step. With my two motives accomplished, I felt a little more relieved that I was done with this fiasco.

The first motive was to escape from the pickle I have found myself in. I didn't expect there would be this much resistance from the two councilors. Still, it wasn't as if they had much ground to stand on. With the loophole in my corner, they didn't have much chance.

I was honestly irritated with the two councilors treating me like a kid. Especially, the female one. She seemed as if she had it out for me. In the end, I couldn't control my tongue and ended up calling her an old crone. It was a mistake that I will pay for in the future. But, I didn't think much about it.

If offending her was the only way to escape from this pickle, I was more than happy to do it. The second motive was to let the Uchiha clan know that not everyone has forgotten about their contribution. I honestly didn't expect the number of votes Fugaku obtained.

After all, it was a last-ditch effort which nevertheless paid off handsomely. I was only expecting me and Fugaku to be the only ones that voted for Fugaku. But, the bastard had voted for Minato making me a little nervous about being the only one to vote for him. In the end, a couple of clans had voted for him making sure that I wasn't too embarrassed.

Whether they did it because they didn't want me and Fugaku to be embarrassed, or because they thought him to be a good Hokage material, or to curry favor with both the Uchiha clan and Senju clan, it didn't matter much to me. All it mattered was to let the Uchiha clan know that they were being recognized.

I knew I was going to be a hot topic of discussion with the stunt I had pulled. What I didn't expect was how fast the news was spread. It was like a wildfire. We came out of the meeting at noon and by evening everyone in Konoha knew what I had done.

There were some grumblings as to how the Senju and Uchiha were teaming up, but it was soon brought forth to a halt after the news about Fugaku voting for Minato spread. It was a blessing in disguise.

The strange thing was Kushina dragging me to ramen after she learned how I called the councilor an old crone. She was overjoyed with the fact that I was living up to her footsteps. Apparently, Kushina had done the same one time after being ticked off by the councilor's condescending attitude.

When the Civilian Council meeting came about, I wasn't paying much attention. I was roaming around Konoha with Harami and Anko, who by the way was little angry with me for not voting for her Shishou. In the end, I have to buy her Dango for a full week to get on her good side. She has been a nightmare ever since she had signed the Snake Summon Contract.

But, the result of the Civilian Council meeting was a surprise. I expected Minato to win with an overwhelming majority, considering how he was the champion of civilians. But, as a strange turn of events, Fugaku was equally popular among the Civilian Council.

As a result, the votes had been almost evenly split amongst the duo while a few went for Orochimaru. Orochimaru didn't seem surprised. In fact, he seemed a little bit relieved. It was as if he didn't want to be a Hokage, which made me confused a little. He even asked me for a spar to see if I truly had what it took to be Jounin, in his creepy and sarcastic way. I readily agreed eager to see how I matched up against a Sannin. We both fixed a date to spar after the Hokage elections were done with.

In the end, Minato became the Hokage with resounding support from both the Civilian Council and Clan Council. Orochimaru came second, closely followed by Fugaku due to his popularity with the Civilian Council much to everyone's surprise.

On a fine day after almost two weeks since I was called back from the frontline, Namikaze Minato became the Yondaimae Hokage of Konohagakure.

* * *

 **A/N: Honestly, Orochimaru is a hard character POV to write from. His narcissism and God-like mentality were truly difficult to portray. I have tried to keep every POV to be in-character and in lieu, with the story I am telling. Some of you might be disappointed with Minato as the Hokage. While I played with the idea of making Fugaku the Yondaimae, I didn't feel it flow naturally. Hence, I decided to stick with Minato.**

 **But, fear not, Hato's attempts to fuck with canon are not done yet.**

 **See you folks in the next chapter!**


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